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On Single and Multiple pH-Sensitive Hydrogel Micro-valves: A 3D Transient Fully Coupled Fluid–Solid Interaction Study

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Abstract

pH-sensitive hydrogels are classified as soft materials that can be employed for future imaginative applications due to their interesting characteristics. Smart hydrogels undergo large deformation under exterior stimuli. However, the swelling behaviors of hydrogels that can be harnessed for microfluidic applications are not well perceived. In this paper, the functionality of an assortment of micro-valves which are composed of pH-sensitive cylindrical hydrogel jackets coated on rigid pillars is inspected considering fully coupled fluid–solid interaction analysis. Therefore, in order to introduce the theory of transient swelling of a pH-sensitive micro-check valve, a transient constitutive model capturing electrical, chemical, and mechanical fields for the hydrogel domain is utilized with fluid fields passing around the micro-valve. In this regard, the Nernst–Planck equation is employed to describe the ions’ diffusion, and Gent hyperelastic model is used to account for the large deformation of the hydrogel. Implementing this nonlinear finite element framework, we examine the performance of one cylindrical jacket and also three patterns of multiple cylindrical valves considering transient 3D FSI behavior of the hydrogel micro-valve. The foremost emphasized novelty of this paper is considering three-dimensional geometry, new designs of micro-valves, and time-dependent swelling of hydrogels by coupling ions diffusion and their large deformation.

Article Highlights

  • Three-dimensional single and multiple pH-sensitive hydrogel micro-valves

  • Electro-chemo-mechanical theory for pH-sensitive hydrogels to predict their transient swelling

  • Fluid–solid interaction of Newtonian fluid and hydrogel which can undergo large reversible deformation

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Funding

The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Soha Niroumandi, Mohammad Shojaeifard & Mostafa Baghani

  2. Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Soha Niroumandi

Authors
  1. Soha Niroumandi
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  2. Mohammad Shojaeifard
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  3. Mostafa Baghani
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The first draft of the manuscript was written by Mohammad Shojaeifard and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Mostafa Baghani.

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Niroumandi, S., Shojaeifard, M. & Baghani, M. On Single and Multiple pH-Sensitive Hydrogel Micro-valves: A 3D Transient Fully Coupled Fluid–Solid Interaction Study. Transp Porous Med 142, 295–316 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-021-01625-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-021-01625-y

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