Application of Bucky Gel in Fabrication of a Low-Voltage Rapid Microvalve for Flow Regulation

Bucky gel is a gelatinous mixture of carbon nanotubes and an ionic liquid. This mixture was employed in fabrication of a low-voltage, rapid, and dry electroactive bimorph actuator: Bucky Gel Actuator (BGA). Feasibility studies were carried out on BGA to evaluate its potential application as a new interface for flow regulation in microfluidics. Following the promising results, a flow regulator was designed and fabricated utilizing BGA as a microvalve. Flow rate measurements showed the capability of BGA microvalve in controlling the output flow rate in the range of 0.1-1 mL/min. BGA microvalve demonstrated great potential to be used for flow regulation in microfluidic devices for point-of-care devices and biomedical applications.