A microfluidic device for investigating crystal nucleation kinetics

Philippe Laval; Jean-Baptiste Salmon; Mathieu Joanicot

doi:10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2006.12.044

paper

A microfluidic device for investigating crystal nucleation kinetics

arXiv:cond-mat/0612526 · doi:10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2006.12.044

Abstract

We have developed an original setup using microfluidic tools allowing one to produce continuously monodisperse microreactors ( $\approx 100$ nL), and to control their temperatures as they flow in the microdevice. With a specific microchannels geometry, we are able to apply large temperature quenches to droplets containing a KNO $_{3}$ solution (up to 50 $^{\circ}$ C in 10 s), and then to follow nucleation kinetics at high supersaturations. By measuring the probability of crystal presence in the droplets as a function of time, we estimate the nucleation rate for different supersaturations, and confront our results to the classical nucleation theory.