Periodic Reporting for period 2 - X-MIXING (Efficient mixing method at the microscale for Time-Resolved Serial Femtosecond Crystallography)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2021-03-01 al 2022-02-28
On the one hand, the length scales should be at the micro or even submicron-scale to avoid the backscattering of the liquid that is not ideal for obtaining cleaner diffraction patterns. On the other hand, the temporal scales should be as fast as possible and controllable. State-of-the-art methods utilized in this field take advantage of diffusion mechanisms to produce mixing. In this project, we propose a microfluidic mixing method to overcome the spatio-temporal limitations of diffusion and potentially obtain even 1000 faster mixing rates than current methods can produce. Besides, the versatility of our microfluidic arrangement can address the triggering of reactions by PH or temperature jumps.
In this project, we have elucidated the physical mechanisms the interplay between temperature gradients, electrical stresses and mixing in singularity fluid processes and pinch-off dynamics. Precise control of microfluidic mixing and their features is crucial to increase the temporal resolution of time-resolved biomolecular studies with XFEL, which potentially will offer new capabilities for the pharma industry in the design and customization of efficient drugs to cure dangerous diseases. With potential regional and national funding, the ideas conceived in this project will be extended to develop a commercial microfluidic device to address the above crucial challenges in a proper way for the society.
These are the overall objectives of the action:
. To analyse experimentally the influence of the input parameters on the mixing time.
. To analyse numerically the role of both the electro-migration of charges and thermal effects.
. To determine the scaling laws for the mixing time as a function of the governing parameters.
. To characterize experimentally how temperature affects the capillary cone-jet physics laws.
Published research articles:
1. The Natural Breakup Length of a Steady Capillary Jet: Application to Serial Femtosecond Crystallography. Crystals 2021, 11(8), 990. Authors: Gañán-Calvo, A. M., et al.
2. Pinch-off of liquid jets at the finite scale of an interface. Phys. Rev. Fluids 7, L012201. Authors: F. Cruz-Mazo & H. A. Stone
Comments: this paper is currently under embargo until Jan. 18th 2023. Unfortunately, we did realize after acceptance that we did not have enough budget to afford. We will be happy to pay the open-access fees and mitigate this problem once the oncoming regional project is finally granted. In any case, EU acknowledgment is visible in the article and compliant with the grant agreement.
Future research articles directly related to this action:
3. “Submicronsized periodic droplet trains”. Authors: F. Cruz-Mazo & A. M. Gañán-Calvo.
4. “Unconditional liquid jets”. Authors: A. M. Gañán-Calvo, F. Cruz-Mazo et al.
5. “Viscous-capillary liquid fragmentation and thermal effects”. Authors: F. Cruz-Mazo (H. A. Stone & A. M. Gañán-Calvo will be invited).
6. “Electrohydrodynamic evaporation”. Authors: F. Cruz-Mazo & A. M. Gañán-Calvo.
7. “Evaporative streams”. Authors: F. Cruz-Mazo, A. M. Gañán-Calvo & Gañán-Calvo’s students.
8. “Megahertz pulse trains enable multi-hit serial crystallography experiments at XFELs”. Authors: Holmes, S. et al. (under review)
9. X-MIXING, an electrohydrodynamic disintegration of miscible fluid flows. Authors: F. Cruz-Mazo & A. M. Gañán-Calvo
Press release: local and regional newspapers published that F. Cruz-Mazo is beneficiary of a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowhisp. Social media: Talk on Youtube from the European Researchers’ Night 2021. Website: www.fcruzmazo.xyz. Participation to a Conference: American Physical Society, Division of Fluid Mechanics (2019, 2020). Participation to a Workshop: Challenges in Microfluidic Sample Delivery, European XFEL 2022.. Participation in activities organized jointly with other EU projects: the European Researchers’ Night 2019.