Abstract
The dynamics of microchains containing superparamagnetic particles in an oscillating field are studied experimentally. The chains are first formed by a static directional field, and then manipulated by an additional dynamical perpendicular field. The present methodology represents a simple reversible chaining process, whose particles can be re-dispersed after removal of the field. The motion of superparamagnetic chains is dominated by magnetic torque and induced hydrodynamic drag. The effects of key parameters, such as field strengths and the lengths of particle chains, are thoroughly analyzed. Distinct behaviors, from rigid body oscillations and bending distortions to rupture failures, are observed by increasing the amplitudes of oscillating fields or chains’ lengths. Because of lower induced drag, a shorter chain follows the field trajectory closely and oscillates more synchronically with the external field. On the other hand, the influences of field strengths are not consistent. Even the overall oscillating phase trajectory in a stronger external field deviates less significantly from the corresponding field trajectory, a stronger dynamical component of the external field results in larger phase angle lags at certain points. The experimental results confirm the criterion of ruptures can be effectively determined by the value of (N*Mn 1/2), where Mn is the Mason number defined as the ratio of induced drag to dipolar attraction, and N represents the number of particles contained in a chain.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Biswal S, Gast A (2004a) Micromixing with linked chains of paramagnetic particles. Anal Chem 76:6448–6455
Biswal S, Gast A (2004b) Rotational dynamics of semiflexible paramagnetic particle chains. Phys Rev E 69:041406
Dreyfus R, Baudry J, Roper ML, Fermigier M, Stone HA, Bibette J (2005) Microscopic artificial swimmers. Nature 437:862
Gijs M (2004) Magnetic bead handling on-chip: new opportunities for analytical application. Microfluid Nanofluid 1:22–40
Kang TG, Hulsen M, Anderson P, den Toonder J, Meijer H (2007) Chaotic mixing induced by a magnetic chain in a rotating magnetic field. Phys Rev E 76:066303
Karle M, Wohrle J, Miwa J, Paust N, Roth G, Zengerle R, von Stetten F (2011) Controlled counter-flow motion of magnetic bead chains rolling along microchannels. Microfluid Nanofluid 10:935–939
Lacharme F, Vandevyver C, Gijs MAM (2009) Magnetic beads retention device for sandwich immunoassay comparison of off-chip and on-chip antibody incubation. Microfluid Nanofluid 7:479–487
Li YH, Sheu ST, Pai JM, Chen CY (2012) Manipulations of vibrating micro magnetic particle chains. J Appl Phys 111:07A924
Martin J, Shea-Roher L, Solis K (2009) Strong intrinsic mixing in vortex magnetic fields. Phys Rev E 80:016312
Melle S, Martin J (2003) Chain model of a magnetorheological suspension in a rotating field. J Chem Phys 118(21):9875
Melle S, Fuller G, Rubio M (2000) Structure and dynamics of magnetorheological fluids in rotating magnetic fields. Phys Rev E 61(4):4111–4117
Melle S, Calderon O, Fuller G, Rubio M (2002a) Polarizable particle aggregation under rotating magnetic fields using scattering dichroism. J Colloid Interface Sci 247:200
Melle S, Calderon O, Rubio M, Fuller G (2002b) Rotational dynamics in dipolar colloidal suspensions: video microscopy experiments and simulations results. J Non Newton Fluid Mech 102(2):135–148
Melle S, Calderon O, Rubio M, Fuller G (2003) Microstructure evolution in magnetorheological suspensions governed by Mason number. Phys Rev E 68:041503
Petousis I, Homburg E, Derks R, Dietzel A (2007) Transient behaviour of magnetic micro-bead chains rotating in a fluid by external fields. Lab Chip 7:1746
Roy T, Sinha A, Chakraborty S, Ganguly R, Puri I (2009) Magnetic microsphere-based mixers for microsroplets. Phys Fluids 21:027101
Terray A, Oakey J, Marr D (2002) Microfluidic control using colloidal devices. Science 296:1841–1844
Vojtisek M, Tarn M, Hirota N, Pamme N (2012) Microfluidic devices in superconducting magnets-on-chip free-flow diamagnetophoresis of polymer particles and bubbles. Microfluid Nanofluid. doi:10.1007/s10404-012-0979-6
Vuppu A, Garcia A, Hayes M (2003) Video Microscopy of dynamically aggregated paramagnetic particle chains in an applied rotating magnetic field. Langmuir 19:8646
Weddemann A, Wittbracht F, Auge A, Hutten A (2011) Particle flow control by induced dipolar interaction of superparamagnetic microbeads. Microfluid Nanofluid 10:459–463
Wittbracht F, Weddemann A, Eickenberg B, Hutten A (2012) On the direct employment of dipolar particle interaction in microfluidic system. Microfluid Nanofluid (submitted)
Acknowledgments
The financial support from the National Science Council of Republic of China (Taiwan) through Grant NSC 99-2221-E-009-057-MY3 is acknowledged.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Li, YH., Chen, CY., Sheu, ST. et al. Dynamics of a microchain of superparamagnetic beads in an oscillating field. Microfluid Nanofluid 13, 579–588 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-012-0974-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-012-0974-y