Fluid dynamics alters liquid-liquid phase separation in confined aqueous two-phase systems

• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2310.17580
• Publication Date: 2023-01-01
• Authors: Eric W. Hester; Sean P. Carney; Vishwesh Shah; Alyssa Arnheim; Bena Patel; Dino Di Carlo; Andrea L. Bertozzi
• Keywords: cond-mat.soft; liquid–liquid phase separation; Classical Physics; Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn); FOS: Physical sciences; Bioengineering; fluid dynamics; Physics - Fluid Dynamics; Condensed Matter - Soft Condensed Matter; 540; Engineering; physics.flu-dyn; Physical Sciences; Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft); 76-10 (Primary) 76T30, 76T06, 74A50, 80A22 (Secondary); 76-10 (Primary) 76T30; 80A22; 74A50; 76T06; aqueous two-phase systems; Biotechnology

Liquid-liquid phase separation is key to understanding aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) arising throughout cell biology, medical science, and the pharmaceutical industry. Controlling detailed morphology of phase-separating compound droplets leads new technologies for efficient single-cell analysis, targeted drug delivery, effective scaffolds wound healing. We present a computational model liquid-liquid relevant recent laboratory experiments with gelatin-polyethylene glycol mixtures. include buoyancy surface-tension-driven finite viscosity fluid dynamics thermally induced separation. show that greatly alters evolution equilibria problem. Notably, plays critical role in driving ATPS energy-minimizing crescent-shaped morphologies shear flows can generate tenfold speedup particle formation. Neglecting produces incorrect minimum-energy droplet shapes. The allows optimization current manufacturing procedures structured microparticles improves confined flowing settings important biology biotechnology.