Inkjet Printing and Release
of Monodisperse Liquid
Crystal Droplets from Solid Surfaces
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Abstract
Recently, liquid crystal (LC) droplets in aqueous solutions
have
become a new platform for chemical and biological sensing applications.
In this work, we present a two-step method to generate monodisperse
LC droplets in aqueous solutions for sensing applications. In the
first step, we exploit inkjet printing to dispense uniform LC droplets
on a solid surface. Uniform LC droplets, ranging from 35 to 136 μm
in diameter, can be prepared by printing multiple times on the same
spot. In the second step, we flush the LC droplets with a stream of
aqueous solution in an open rectangular channel. Factors that determine
the polydispersity of the LC droplets include flow rates and surface
wettability. Under appropriate experimental conditions (i.e., when
the surface is glass and the flow rate is sufficiently high), the
LC droplets can be lifted off completely and carried away by the solution,
forming free LC droplets (15–62 μm in diameter). These
free LC droplets can respond to a chemical reaction and change their
optical textures uniformly