A comprehensive review on electrically modulated transport of soft, multiphase systems in microflow: Perspectives on drops and vesicles.

Abstract

With the transport of soft and multiphase systems such as droplets and vesicles, the controlled movement of these systems could be regulated in microfluidic channels using an external electrical field is a convenient method for further studying and even tuning micro-transport behaviors. The electric field induces complex electrohydrodynamic behaviors in such systems with considerable impact on their deformation, motion, and interaction with the surrounding fluid. Introducing an electric field exerts stresses at the interface of these fluids, which ensures precise control over their deformation and motion with the features of droplets or vesicles that are vital for their subsequent manipulation inside confined microchannels. Here, electrically modulated transport dynamics in soft multiphase systems, specifically droplets and vesicles, in microfluidic systems are studied meticulously. In this review work, we study how the electric field strength, fluid properties, and membrane characteristics, all of which are important to the directed motion of these systems, are coupled to one another. It also notes that vesicles, with their bilayer lipid membranes, have unique dynamics-such as the formation of membrane tensions and bending rigidity-that affect their electrohydrodynamic behaviors, unlike simple droplets. Studying the electrically driven dynamics of the soft matter, this review offers useful perspectives on the creation of next-generation microfluidics devices, ranging from drug delivery to synthetic biology and materials manufacturing. The effects of the field strength, frequency, and geometry on the transport properties of the droplets and vesicles and highlighting the rich interplay between the electrostatic forces and the inherent properties of soft matter are studied systematically. Recent advances in experimental methods (such as high-precision imaging, micro-manipulation, and sophisticated computational modeling) have also taken our understanding of these electrohydrodynamic processes to new heights. This review further explores potential applications of these technologies in lab-on-a-chip platforms, drug delivery systems, and bioanalytical tools and highlights challenges, including stability, scalability, and reproducibility. The conclusion includes proposed directions for future research aimed at enhancing the localization, control, and efficiency of electrokinetic manipulation in soft matter-based microfluidic systems.