Multiphase Microfluidics: Transport, Interfaces and Dynamics

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 915

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Astronautics, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
Interests: fluid mechanics; free surface flow; bubble dynamics; interface phenomena; surface rheology

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Guest Editor Assistant
Ningbo Institute of Technology, Beihang University, Ningbo 315800, China
Interests: cavitation bubble dynamics; photothermal conversion of metal; mechanism of bubble nucleation; propulsion of micro/nanorobots

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Multiphase transport and interfacial interactions in micro- and nanoscale systems have received growing research and industrial attention over the past decade. While classical microfluidic and interfacial science have provided the foundation for understanding droplet, bubble, and multiphase behavior, new experimental and computational tools have greatly expanded our ability to probe and control transient multiphase phenomena at small scales. At the same time, these complementary approaches are increasingly being integrated to harness the advantages of both high-resolution diagnostics and advanced multi-physics modeling. For instance, high-speed imaging combined with machine-learning-based flow reconstruction has enabled the quantitative characterization of ultrafast bubble dynamics and phase-change-driven transport.

Multiphase microfluidics represents a key enabling technology for linking microscale interfacial processes with macroscale functionalities in engineering, materials, and biomedical applications. The ability to control bubble and droplet generation, interfacial deformation, heat and mass transfer, and phase-transition-induced flow is essential for improving micro- and nano-precision manufacturing, regulating chemical and biological microenvironments, and achieving efficient thermal management and energy conversion. As micro- and nanoscale systems continue to evolve, the demand for accurate, scalable, and robust strategies to manipulate multiphase behavior has never been greater.

Accordingly, this Special Issue seeks to showcase original research articles, short communications, and comprehensive reviews that highlight emerging methodologies and fundamental advances in multiphase microfluidics. Topics of interest include droplet and bubble dynamics, cavitation, phase-change-driven transport, surface tension–wettability effects, thermocapillary flows, electrohydrodynamic phenomena, as well as interface engineering enabled by microfabrication. Contributions involving novel process chains, optimization strategies, metrology, or data-driven diagnostics are particularly encouraged, as these developments are essential for integrating multiphase phenomena across scales in next-generation microfluidic and microsystem technologies.

Prof. Dr. Bingqiang Ji
Guest Editor

Dr. Chenliang Xia
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

  • multiphase microfluidics
  • interfacial dynamics
  • droplet
  • bubble
  • emulsions
  • phase change
  • microscale transport
  • cavitation
  • surface tension
  • wettability
  • microfabrication
  • thermal–fluid interaction
  • reactive multiphase flow
  • lab-on-a-chip
  • bioinspired microfluidics

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 3654 KB  
Article
Pulse Driven Injection in an Additive-Manufactured Microchannel for Rapid Mixing of Stratified Concurrent Flow and On-Demand Droplet Generation
by Faisal bin Nasser Sarbaland, Masashi Kobayashi, Daiki Tanaka, Risa Fujita, Nobuyuki Tanaka and Masahiro Furuya
Micromachines 2026, 17(5), 540; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17050540 - 28 Apr 2026
Viewed by 263
Abstract
Laminar co-flow in microchannels typically results in stratified streams with diffusion-limited mixing. This work presents an additively manufactured microfluidic platform that integrates a pulse tank and a transverse injection nozzle into an otherwise straight channel, enabling pulse-driven mixing and droplet generation using air-pressure [...] Read more.
Laminar co-flow in microchannels typically results in stratified streams with diffusion-limited mixing. This work presents an additively manufactured microfluidic platform that integrates a pulse tank and a transverse injection nozzle into an otherwise straight channel, enabling pulse-driven mixing and droplet generation using air-pressure actuation alone. In Device A, transverse pulsed injection disrupted the stratified interface and significantly enhanced mixing compared with the no-pulse case, as confirmed by an entropy-based mixing index. In Device B, pulsed injection into a continuous oil phase enabled stable droplet-on-demand generation with pressure-tunable droplet diameter in a straight circular channel. The devices operated in a laminar regime, with representative Reynolds, Péclet, and capillary numbers confirming diffusion-limited baseline mixing and stable dripping-type droplet formation. The results demonstrate that pulse-driven injections in a simple, additively manufactured geometry provide an effective, low-complexity approach to mixing enhancement and droplet generation without external fields or complex channel designs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multiphase Microfluidics: Transport, Interfaces and Dynamics)
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18 pages, 5677 KB  
Article
A Droplet-Based Microfluidic Platform for Rapid Optical Detection of Bacteria: Proof-of-Concept for Radiopharmaceutical Sterility Testing
by Adriano Colombelli, Daniela Lospinoso, Vita Guarino, Alessandra Zizzari, Monica Bianco, Valentina Arima, Roberto Rella and Maria Grazia Manera
Micromachines 2026, 17(5), 532; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17050532 - 27 Apr 2026
Viewed by 323
Abstract
Rapid sterility testing of radiopharmaceuticals is essential due to their short half-lives and strict safety requirements. Conventional culture-based methods require several days and are not compatible with clinical workflows. In this work, we present a proof-of-concept droplet-based microfluidic platform for rapid optical detection [...] Read more.
Rapid sterility testing of radiopharmaceuticals is essential due to their short half-lives and strict safety requirements. Conventional culture-based methods require several days and are not compatible with clinical workflows. In this work, we present a proof-of-concept droplet-based microfluidic platform for rapid optical detection of bacterial contamination through optical extinction analysis of microdroplets. Monodisperse water-in-oil microdroplets were generated and optically interrogated using a fiber-based detection system. Calibration was first performed using 500 nm polystyrene nanoparticles to establish the relationship between particle concentration and optical extinction. Subsequently, Staphylococcus aureus suspensions were analyzed under aerobic and anaerobic conditions at concentrations ranging from 0 to 230 CFU/mL. The system demonstrated reliable detection of bacterial contamination with estimated limits of detection of ~15 CFU/mL (aerobic) and ~7.5 CFU/mL (anaerobic). The platform enables real-time, high-throughput analysis with minimal sample handling and reduced analysis time compared to conventional sterility tests. This study validates the feasibility of microdroplet-based optical detection as a rapid quality control strategy specifically suited for radiopharmaceutical production, where the short half-lives of common radiotracers impose strict time constraints incompatible with conventional 14-day culture-based sterility tests. The results provide a proof-of-concept foundation for future integration into automated sterility testing workflows, with further validation on real radiopharmaceutical matrices planned as the next step. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multiphase Microfluidics: Transport, Interfaces and Dynamics)
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