Application of bucky gel in fabrication of a low-voltage rapid microvalve for flow regulation

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2013 Jun 26;5(12):5408-12. doi: 10.1021/am400106q. Epub 2013 Jun 5.

Abstract

Bucky gel is a gelatinous mixture of carbon nanotubes and an ionic liquid. This mixture was employed in fabrication of a low-voltage, rapid, and dry electroactive bimorph actuator: Bucky Gel Actuator (BGA). Feasibility studies were carried out on BGA to evaluate its potential application as a new interface for flow regulation in microfluidics. Following the promising results, a flow regulator was designed and fabricated utilizing BGA as a microvalve. Flow rate measurements showed the capability of BGA microvalve in controlling the output flow rate in the range of 0.1-1 mL/min. BGA microvalve demonstrated great potential to be used for flow regulation in microfluidic devices for point-of-care devices and biomedical applications.

Publication types

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