Fundamental study on the segmented flow injection : Multiphase flow formation towards microchip-based multi-ion sensing

A new fluid flow inside the microchannel was successfully developed. The flow created here involves segmented flow injection of plural organic phases into a microchannel followed by contact with a single aqueous phase to form stable organic-aqueous two-layer flow inside the microchannel. Fundamental study on the developed flow inside the microchannel was performed by monitoring the dye-doped segmented organic phases by thermal lens microscopy (TLM). Excellent repeatability and very small injection volume in developing segmented flow were realized. The new fluid flow created here is expected to allow us multi-ion sensing, which is not easily demonstrated by conventional ion sensor technology using a solvent polymeric membrane, by combining with neutral ionophore-based ion pair extraction using plural numbers of organic phases containing different ionophore molecules