Characterization of fluid resistance in nanostructured TiO2 (NST) film

Abstract

Embedded microchannels are required in many microfluidic devices. However, the channels may reduce the strength of the bulk substrate. In this study, Nanostructured TiO2(NST) material is proposed to provide the fluid passage for the drug into the required location while still maintains very good strength. A simple method was proposed to obtain the pressure drop over NST filled channel and the fluid resistance was experimentally determined. The Darcy' equation of NST films was setup, and the permeability was measured 1.475×10-11 m2. With a relatively high fluid resistance, further optimization should be carried out for NST microfluidic devices.