Jin SH  Kim CY  Lee BJ  Shim KR  Kim DY  Lee CS

Vol. 23,  No. 3, pp. 270-278, Sep.  2017
10.7464/ksct.2017.23.3.270

Pectin Microfluidics Hydrogel Microfiber Monodispersity

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This study introduces a method to easily fabricate highly monodisperse pectin hydrogel microfibers in a microfluidic device by using partial gelation. The hydrodynamic parameters between the pectin aqueous solution and the calcium ions containing oil solution are precisely controlled to form a stable elongation flow of the pectin aqueous solution, and partial gelation of the pectin aqueous solution is performed by the chelating of the calcium ions at the interface between the two phases. The partially gelled pectin aqueous solution is phase-separated from the oil solution in an aqueous calcium chloride solution outside the microfluidic device and is completely gelled to produce monodisperse pectin hydrogel microfibers. The thickness of the pectin hydrogel microfiber is controlled in a reproducible manner by controlling the volumetric flow rate of the initially injected pectin aqueous solution. The pectin hydrogel microfibers were 200 to 500 micrometers in diameter and had a coefficient of variation below 5% under all thickness conditions, indicating that the pectin hydrogel microfibers produced by partial gelation are highly monodisperse. In addition, biomaterials can be immobilized to the pectin hydrogel microfibers produced by a single process, demonstrating the possibility that our pectin hydrogel microfiber can be used as carriers for biomaterials or tissue engineering.