Design and development of a particle factory based on stop-flow lithography process

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Simple mixing of aqueous and oil solutions with amphiphilic particles leads to the spontaneous formation of uniform reaction volumes, which enable numerous applications in the field of single cell and single molecule analysis, and drug discovery. Approaches to manufacture such amphiphilic particles are just starting to be investigated. Here, we propose to establish an experimental facility, termed particle factory (PARFACT), to manufacture concentric amphiphilic particles, with outer hydrophobic and inner hydrophilic layers that selectively interact with the oil and aqueous phases, respectively. The particles will be fabricated by flowing reactive precursor streams through a 3D printed device with coaxial microfluidic channels, and curing the structured flow by UV exposure through a photomask. However, in this short-term PARFACT project, firstly, we will focus on the design, optimization and fabrication of the 3D printed device using a high resolution two photon polymerization technique. Secondly, a compatible device holder for fluidic connection and UV exposure will be designed and fabricated using a computer numerical control (CNC) technique. Thirdly, the device along with the holder will be tightly fixed on an XY-stage, where an LED-based UV source mounted on a vertical translational stage will be used to shine the device through a UV window in the holder. All the experimental components, including pumps, valves, and UV source, will be connected using an input/output (I/O) module in a synchronized manner. The unique aspect of the PARFACT project will be the use of a 2PP technique to create miniaturized 3D microchannels (<100 µm gaps), difficult to form using conventional 3D printing techniques. The end goal of this project will be to realize a fully functional experimental setup ready to flow/stop polymer precursors through the 3D printed microfluidic device, and turn on/off the UV light on demand in a cyclic manner. After the completion of this first phase of the project, we will expand on to fabricating customized and engineered particles for uniform volume droplet formations for specific applications.