They get a paramagnetic ring that encapsulates the water droplets.
The Microfluidika cluster of the UPV has presented and characterized the formation and properties of a superparamagnetic ring. This ring is able to close very precisely around a drop of water and allows to physically handle the drops. The research is part of the European MAMI project and has been published in Advanced Functional Materials.
It has been explained that the handling of drops is generating increasing interest in areas such as technological applications or basic studies of dynamic systems. In the study conducted by the microfluidic cluster, it has been found that around a drop of water a superparamagnetic ring is actually generated when an oil ferrofluid comes into contact with the drop under the influence of a magnetic field.
Moreover, depending on the magnetic field, the structure can be modified and if the magnet is removed, the effect disappears. The drops are millimetric, volume at microliter scale, which allows handling small volumes.
Researchers have advanced that from there it is possible to carry out further research related to liquid/liquid interaction and to develop applications that are still unknown such as sensor devices for liquids, study of individual cells, detection of substances in aerosols, etc.
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