Light-driven peristaltic pumping by an actuating splay-bend strip

Klaudia Dradrach (), Michał Zmyślony, Zixuan Deng, Arri Priimagi, John Biggins () and Piotr Wasylczyk
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Klaudia Dradrach: University of Cambridge
Michał Zmyślony: University of Cambridge
Zixuan Deng: Tampere University
Arri Priimagi: Tampere University
John Biggins: University of Cambridge
Piotr Wasylczyk: University of Warsaw

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Despite spectacular progress in microfluidics, small-scale liquid manipulation, with few exceptions, is still driven by external pumps and controlled by large-scale valves, increasing cost and size and limiting complexity. By contrast, optofluidics uses light to power, control and monitor liquid manipulation, potentially allowing for small, self-contained microfluidic devices. Here we demonstrate a soft light-propelled actuator made of liquid crystal gel that pumps microlitre volumes of water. The strip of actuating material serves as both a pump and a channel leading to an extremely simple microfluidic architecture that is both powered and controlled by light. The performance of the pump is well explained by a simple theoretical model in which the light-induced bending of the actuator competes with the liquid’s surface tension. The theory highlights that effective pumping requires a threshold light intensity and strip width. The proposed system explores the benefits of shifting the complexity of microfluidic systems from the fabricated device to spatio-temporal control over stimulating light patterns.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37445-5

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