A microfluidic-multiwell platform for rapid phase mapping of surfactant solutions
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Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Measurement of the phase behavior and (meta)stability of liquid formulations, including surfactant solutions, is required for the understanding of mixture thermodynamics, as well as their practical utilization. We report a microfluidic platform with a stepped temperature profile, imposed by a dual Peltier module, connected to an automated multiwell plate injector and optical setup, for rapid solution phase mapping. The measurement protocol is defined by the temperature step ΔT ≡ T1 − T2 (≲100 °C), volumetric flow rate Q ≡ ΔV/Δt (≲50 μl/min), which implicitly set the thermal gradient ΔT/Δt (≃0.1–50 °C/min), and measurement time (which must exceed the intrinsic timescale of the relevant phase transformation). Furthermore, U-shaped microchannels can assess the reversibility of such transformations, yielding a facile measurement of the metastable zone width of the phase diagram. By contrast with traditional approaches, the platform precisely controls the cooling and heating rates by tuning the flow rate, and the absolute temperature excursion by the hot and cold thermal profile, which remain stationary during operation, thus allowing the sequential and reproducible screening of large sample arrays. As a model system, we examined the transition from the micellar (L1) to the liquid crystalline lamellar phase (Lα), upon cooling, of aqueous solutions of sodium linear alkylbenzene sulfonate, a biodegradable anionic surfactant extensively employed in industry. Our findings are validated with quiescent optical microscopy and small angle neutron scattering data.
Date Issued
2020-04-01
Date Acceptance
2020-03-30
Citation
Review of Scientific Instruments, 2020, 91 (4), pp.1-11
ISSN
0034-6748
Publisher
AIP Publishing
Start Page
1
End Page
11
Journal / Book Title
Review of Scientific Instruments
Volume
91
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2020 Author(s).
Sponsor
Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Ltd
Lubricants UK Ltd
Centre for Process Innovation Ltd
Identifier
https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.5144770
Grant Number
G4P-8001385144
PO. 3000796885
PO. 31992
Subjects
Applied Physics
02 Physical Sciences
03 Chemical Sciences
09 Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-04-14