Rana, M. orcid.org/0000-0001-9954-3205, Ahmad, R. orcid.org/0000-0001-8313-7413 and Taylor, A.F. orcid.org/0000-0003-0071-8306 (2023) A microfluidic double emulsion platform for spatiotemporal control of pH and particle synthesis. Lab on a Chip, 23 (20). pp. 4504-4513. ISSN 1473-0197
Abstract
The temporal control of pH in microreactors such as emulsion droplets plays a vital role in applications including biomineralisation and microparticle synthesis. Typically, pH changes are achieved either by passive diffusion of species into a droplet or by acid/base producing reactions. Here, we exploit an enzyme reaction combined with the properties of a water–oil–water (W/O/W) double emulsion to control the pH–time profile in the droplets. A microfluidic platform was used for production of ∼100–200 μm urease-encapsulated double emulsions with a tuneable mineral oil shell thickness of 10–40 μm. The reaction was initiated on-demand by addition of urea and a pulse in base (ammonia) up to pH 8 was observed in the droplets after a time lag of the order of minutes. The pH–time profile can be manipulated by the diffusion timescale of urea and ammonia through the oil layer, resulting in a steady state pH not observed in bulk reactive solutions. This approach may be used to regulate the formation of pH sensitive materials under mild conditions and, as a proof of concept, the reaction was coupled to calcium phosphate precipitation in the droplets. The oil shell thickness was varied to select for either brushite microplatelets or hydroxyapatite particles, compared to the mixture of different precipitates obtained in bulk.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 02 Oct 2023 13:21 |
Last Modified: | 04 Oct 2024 15:08 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1039/d3lc00711a |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:203843 |