Advancements in liquid marbles as an open microfluidic platform: Rapid formation, robust manipulation, and revolutionary applications

Droplet Pub Date : 2025-02-18 DOI:10.1002/dro2.160

Tong Tong, Huaiqing Hu, Yuanhao Xie, Jing Jin

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Abstract

Liquid marbles (LMs) have become a focal point in microfluidics for their efficient manipulation of small liquid volumes. These non-wetting droplets, typically coated with hydrophobic particles, offer enhanced stability, reduced evaporation and diverse utility, distinguishing them from bare droplets. This review examines advancements in LMs from 2014 to 2024, focusing on their rapid formation, robust manipulation, and revolutionary applications—termed the “3R trilogy.” We delve into the generation mechanisms, analyzing laboratory and engineering production techniques, and explore how surface particles affect LMs’ physicochemical properties. The structural dynamics and motion control of LMs are investigated, detailing their response to external forces and environmental factors. The review also highlights the state-of-the-art applications of LMs in digital microfluidics, biochemical analysis, materials synthesis, environmental monitoring, soft robotics, and energy harvesting. Concluding with a discussion on significant progress and future development trends, this review provides insights and ideas for broader applications of LM-based microfluidic platforms.

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液体弹珠作为开放微流控平台的进展：快速形成、稳健操作和革命性应用

液体弹珠（Liquid marbles, LMs）因其对小体积液体的高效操纵而成为微流体学研究的热点。这些非润湿液滴通常涂有疏水颗粒，具有增强的稳定性，减少蒸发和多种用途，将其与裸液滴区分开来。本文回顾了2014年至2024年LMs的进展，重点关注它们的快速形成、强大的操作和革命性的应用——被称为“3R三部曲”。我们深入研究了生成机制，分析了实验室和工程生产技术，并探讨了表面颗粒如何影响LMs的物理化学性质。研究了LMs的结构动力学和运动控制，详细介绍了它们对外力和环境因素的响应。综述还重点介绍了LMs在数字微流体、生化分析、材料合成、环境监测、软机器人和能量收集等方面的最新应用。最后，对lm微流控平台的重要进展和未来发展趋势进行了讨论，为其更广泛的应用提供了见解和思路。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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Droplet

CiteScore

6.60

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0.00%

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