LETTER TO THE EDITORS

Soft matter reaction-diffusion and ferrofluid patterns as dynamic microchannels for optoelectronic lab-on-a-chip with the field-controlled geometry / topology

O. V. Gradov^ab, M. A. Gradova<sup>a

a</sup> N.N. Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences
^b Institute of Energy Problems of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow

Abstract: Well known microfluidic or optofluidic devices based on CMOS and CCD sensors, which can be used for measuring the optical characteristics of the liquid samples in solid (either plastic or glass) micro-channels, are strongly predetermined geometrical systems (topologies), which can not be reconfigured after fabrication (a fortiori - in situ). We propose a novel approach to the design of the lab-on-a-chip with the real-time controlled topology based on the field-driven soft matter constructions on the CMOS surface. The above approach to the formation, tracing and rearrangement of the channels and the multi-channel topologies is a superimposition of the soft-matter electronics, flexible electronics, electrostatic-driven polymer physics, stretchable electronics, including biomimetic one, and also of ferrohydrodynamics and magnetic particle assisted microhydrodynamics. This work was financially supported by RFBR grant 16-32-00914.

Keywords: soft matter, ferrofluids, ferrofluidics, ferrohydrodynamics, labyrinth instability, photoswitchable media, photoactivated media, reaction diffusion, chip, Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction, image processing by a discrete reaction-diffusion system.

Language: English