Study of Magnetic Nanoparticle Composite Polymer thin layer for Microfluidic and MEMS applications

Abstract

A lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is a device that offers one or several laboratory functions using microfluidic devices such as micropump, microvalves … etc., which manipulate fluid in microchannel (mixing, pumping, change direction …etc), and the important component in microfluidics devices are the actuated membrane, which are generally made of polymer. Various actuation principles have been adopted, including electrostatic, thermal, or piezoelectric. However, these methods present diverse limitations, making their direct utilization difficult. The magnetic actuation shows an interesting result because of the lack of electrical connections, the possibility of being manipulated at a large distance, and the fast response to the external magnetic field. The aim of this thesis is to simulate the magneto-responsivity of a magnetic nanoparticle - polymer composite membrane, and their application in a micropump mechanism using COMSOL Multiphysics.