Separation of microscale chiral objects by shear flow

Phys Rev Lett. 2009 Apr 17;102(15):158103. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.158103. Epub 2009 Apr 15.

Abstract

We show that plane parabolic flow in a microfluidic channel causes nonmotile, helically shaped bacteria to drift perpendicular to the shear plane. Net drift results from the preferential alignment of helices with streamlines, with a direction that depends on the chirality of the helix and the sign of the shear rate. The drift is in good agreement with a model based on resistive force theory, and separation is efficient (>80%) and fast (<2 s). We estimate the effect of Brownian rotational diffusion on chiral separation and show how this method can be extended to separate chiral molecules.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Isomerism
  • Microfluidics*
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Shear Strength
  • Spirochaetales / cytology*
  • Spirochaetales / ultrastructure