Inertia of microflow promoted by Surface Wettability can influence cell distribution

• Wettability of microfluidic chambers was engineered by chemical deposition of thin layers.
• Wettability of microfluidic chambers influenced flow velocity and microflow behaviour.
• Wettability of the microfluidic chambers affected cell distribution.
• Migration of the cells along the side or the edges can be observed.

Cell distribution and its dependence on the liquid plug have always attracted the interest of the researchers. Cells in fact are affected by the surrounding environment and it is really significant to study their behaviour as consequence of different external stimuli.Herein we study the possibility to promote different cell distribution by switching on or off the fluid flow inertia. The wettability of the substrate and in general the contact angle between the liquid and the floors of the microfluidic system drives those mechanisms.We show that the cells distribute along the centreline of the chamber or along the edges of the chamber (mechanisms of inertial migration) in hydrophobic or hydrophilic microfluidic systems. This behaviour is interesting since it allows switching from one to other mechanism without varying the geometry of the chamber but just tuning the liquid-substrate properties.

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