On-demand microfluidic droplet pinching and splitting under local confinement gradients
We study the dynamics of a droplet subjected to a thickness indentation in a microchannel. The droplet either reaches an equilibrium shape or splits depending on geometry. We show that its deformation is self-similar but that scaling laws are not sufficient to describe its dynamics and the possible breakup. We propose a model based on surface energy minimization that reproduces our observations in a microfluidic device. We predict whether the drop splits and model the dynamics of the deformation up to breakup, in agreement with our experiments. With our setup, the droplet breakup can therefore be controlled on-demand in situ with an active indentation of the channel thickness.
Authors
- Stéphanie Descroix (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0027-352X)
- Marie-Caroline Jullien (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5800-3111)
- Albane Théry (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7465-4849)
- Marc Pascual (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7794-4489)
- Margaux Kerdraon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6018-9351)
Institutions
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- California University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Gulliver (FR)
- Institut Curie (FR)
- ESPCI Paris (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical Review Fluids
- Published
- 2025-11-06
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/mjf8-jhfy
- Primary Topic
- Innovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques Innovation
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- University of Pennsylvania
- Equipex
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
- Institut Pierre-Gilles de Gennes