Fluidic devices: Small 4/2009

The cover picture shows images of uniform microspheres and their close-packed lattices. A simple fluidic device is fabricated with a PVC tube, a syringe needle, and a glass capillary tube for generating the uniform microspheres. A variety of materials, including hydrophobic poly(-caprolactone) polymer (left), hydrophobic ethyle-2-cyanoacrylate monomer (center), and hydrophilic gelatin (right) are prepared as uniform microspheres using the fluidic device. Precise control over particle size is achieved by varying the polymer concentration and/or the flow rate for the continuous phase. A tapping method based on solvent evaporation on a concave glass is used for crystallizing these microspheres into close-packed lattices. For more information, please read the Communication “Preparation of Uniform Microspheres Using a Simple Fluidic Device and Their Crystallization into Close-Packed Lattices” by Y. Xia et al. beginning on page 454.