Micromixing and flow manipulation with polymer microactuators

Abstract

Polymer actuators based on Gold/PolyPyrrole bilayers were microfabricated and their properties tested for flow promoting in the microdomain. When implemented in microchannels these actuators behaved as efficient micromixers for both, flow-through and stagnant conditions. Particle tracking experiments and numerical simulations of cross-sectional domains verified the capacity of these devices to promote complex, high velocity flows with chaotic advection properties in microscopic environments. Thinner devices could be actuated at higher frequencies than thicker devices, up to 10 Hz for 10 nm thick Gold layers with voltages not over 0.6 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), which led to enhanced flow generation properties. The results herein demonstrate that these actuators are practical candidates for fluid manipulation in the microdomain (for applications such as micromixing and pumping, and possibly even for propelling of swimming microdevices).