Influence of photobioreactor configuration on microalgal biomass production.

Biodiesel production from microalgae depends on the biomass concentration and lipid content in microalgal cells. Photobioreactors (PBRs) facilitates cultivation of microalgae and renders better process control than open systems. However, reactor configuration and consequential hydrodynamics considerably influence biomass and lipid production from microalgae. Here, four different configurations of PBRs, viz. airlift and bubble column with orifice sparger and newly designed ring sparger, were investigated. Resulting volumetric mass transfer coefficient, mixing time, and shear stress were analyzed at different air flow rates to realize their influence on biomass and lipid production from Neochloris oleoabundans UTEX 1185. Bubble column reactor with ring sparger was observed to exhibit superior performance, which was subsequently simulated using a two-phase Eulerian model to comprehend the influence of air flow rates on mixing time. The developed computational model corroborates well with the experimental findings of optimum air flow rate for maximum biomass yield in bubble column configuration.

Switchable Wettability States of a Ferrofluid Droplet atop a Hydrophobic Interface.

Magnetically tuned soft machines offer great promise in performing a wide variety of programmable tasks via their dynamic shape adaptation and alteration. Despite dramatic recent advancements in this regard, selective reconfiguration of the wetting behavior of a ferrofluid droplet atop a hydrophobic interface adapted as a magnetically modulated micromachine remained elusive when the applied field intensity exceeds the saturation magnetization. Here we unveil a strategy to unsettle this perspective by harnessing a magnetic field-dependent magnetization phenomenon that may be exploited exclusively to arrive at highly controllable dynamic switchable wetting states of ferrofluid droplets, including the realization of wide ranges of contact angles for a given applied magnetic field. We arrive at a physical law from the resulting interplay of forces that quantifies the time dependence of the contact angle variation for a given magnetic field. Substantiated by experimental findings, our multiphysics-based simulations further evidence the possibilities of realizing switchable wetting states of soft magnetic matter over a wide range of physical parameters, delving into this principle. Disrupting the established notion of a trivially unique wetting phenomenon as governed by the droplet-substrate combination and the applied field alone, this paradigm may thus benefit a wide variety of practical applications, ranging from digital microfluidics to recombination chemistry.

Influence of super-optimal light intensity on the acetic acid uptake and microalgal growth in mixotrophic culture of Chlorella sorokiniana in bubble-column photobioreactors.

This study seeks to determine the influence of super-optimal light intensity on acetic acid uptake and its associated impact on the cellular composition of Chlorella sorokiniana in a semi-batch mixotrophic cultivation setup. Unicellular green microalga Chlorella sorokiniana is grown in a 1L bubble-column photobioreactor at light intensities from 6000 to 14,000 lx (≈81 to 189 µmol.photons.m-2.s-1). We find that microalgal acetic acid utilization reduces as illumination increases from an optimal 10,000 lx (≈135 µmol.photons.m-2.s-1) to a super-optimal zone (>10000 lx). This lowers microalgal growth (2.75 g/L) and acetic acid intake, which peak at 6 mL/L (10000 lx) and drop to 2 and 1 mL/L at 12,000 and 14,000 lx, respectively. Concurrently, the maximum lipid yield decreases from 0.66 g/L (10000 lx) to 0.54 g/L (12000 lx) and 0.42 g/L (14000 lx). Hence, super-optimal illumination not only disturbs phototrophy but also affects the heterotrophic component, creating an imbalance between the two.

Plasmonic Nanostructures Grown from Reacting Droplet-In-Microwell Array on Flexible Films for Quantitative Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy in Plant Wearable In Situ Detection.

Plant wearable detection has garnered significant interest in advancing agricultural intelligence and promoting sustainable food production amidst the challenges of climate change. Accurately monitoring plant health and agrochemical residue levels necessitates qualities such as precision, affordability, simplicity, and noninvasiveness. Here, a novel attachable plasmonic film is introduced and designed for on-site detection of agrochemical residues utilizing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). By functionalizing a thin polydimethylsiloxane film with silver nanoparticles via controlled droplet reactions in micro-well arrays, a plasmonic film is achieved that not only maintains optical transparency for precise analyte localization but also conforms closely to the plant surface, facilitating highly sensitive SERS measurements. The reliability of this film enables accurate identification and quantification of individual compounds and their mixtures, boasting an ultra-low detection limit ranging from 10-16 to 10-13 m, with mini mal relative standard deviation. To showcase its potential, on-field detection of pesticide residues on fruit surfaces is conducted using a handheld Raman spectrometer. This advancement in fabricating plasmonic nanostructures on flexible films holds promise for expanding SERS applications beyond plant monitoring, including personalized health monitoring, point-of-care diagnosis, wearable devices for human-machine interface, and on-site monitoring of environmental pollutants.

Nanoextraction based on surface nanodroplets for chemical preconcentration and determination.

Liquid-liquid extraction based on surface nanodroplets, namely nanoextraction, can continuously extract and enrich target analytes from the flow of a sample solution. This sample preconcentration technique is easy to operate in a continuous flow system with a low consumption of organic solvent and a high enrichment factor. In this review, the evolution from single drop microextraction to advanced nanoextraction will be briefly introduced. Moreover, the formation principle and key features of surface nanodroplets will be summarized. Further, the major findings of nanoextraction combined with in-droplet chemistry toward sensitive and quantitative detection will be discussed. Finally, we will give our perspectives for the future trend of nanoextraction.

Influence of electrostatic and chemical heterogeneity on the electric-field-induced destabilization of thin liquid films.

A numerical model for thin liquid film (<100 nm) drainage in the presence of an external electric field is developed. Long-wave theory is applied to approximate and simplify the governing equations. A spatiotemporal film morphology evolution equation thus obtained is then solved using a combination of finite difference to resolve the spatial dimensions and an adaptive time step ODE solver for the temporal propagation. The effect of fluid properties, namely, viscosity and surface tension, on the film drainage time is observed for a homogeneous electric field, which leads to random dewetting spots. Electrically heterogeneous fields, achieved by modeling electrodes with various periodic patterns, are explored to identify their effect on the drainage time and behavior. Finally, the chemical heterogeneity of the substrate is coupled with the periodic electric heterogeneity to understand the implications of combined heterogeneity. It is observed that the introduction of any heterogeneity results in faster drainage of the film when compared to that of the homogeneous field. In all cases, the thin film is drained, leaving submicrometer-scale structures at the interface. Well-controlled surface patterns are found on the application of periodic heterogeneity. This study effectively demonstrates the immense potential of electrically induced thin film drainage as a means for faster de-emulsification and for the creation of ordered submicrometer-scale surface patterns on soft materials.

Controlled Nanoscale Electrohydrodynamic Patterning Using Mesopatterned Template.

We report the path for a possible fabrication of an array of nanogrooves, by electro-hydrodynamic instability-mediated patterning of a thin polymer film using a patterned stamp with much larger features. Using a predictive computational model based on finite element method, we find the route to control the coalescence of initial instabilities that arise with the onset of spatially varying DC electric field generated through topographical patterns in the top electrode. These quasi-steady structures are shown to evolve with the electrostatic and geometric nature of the two-electrode system and are of a stable intermediate during the process of feature replication, under each electrode feature. We identify conditions to obtain nanogrooves for a range of operating conditions. Such simulations are likely to guide experiments, where simultaneous optimization of multiple parameters to fabricate features with lateral dimension smaller than that of the electrode patterns is challenging.