Acoustic streaming of microparticles using graphene-based interdigital transducers

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices offer many benefits in chemistry and biomedicine, enabling precise manipulation of micro-droplets, mixing of liquids by acoustic streaming and pumping of liquids in enclosed channels, while presenting a cost-effective and easy fabrication and integration with electronic devices. In this work, we present microfluidic devices which use graphene-based interdigital transducers (IDTs) to generate SAWs with a frequency of 100 MHz and an amplitude of up to 200 pm, which allow us to manipulate microparticle solutions by acoustic streaming. Due to the negligible mass loading of the piezoelectric surface by graphene, the SAWs generated by these devices have no frequency shift, typically observed when metal IDTs are used.

Automated summary

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices utilizing graphene-based interdigital transducers (IDTs) have been developed to generate SAWs with a frequency of 100 MHz in microfluidic devices, allowing precise manipulation of microparticle solutions by acoustic streaming and mixing of liquids. Due to the negligible mass loading of the piezoelectric surface by graphene, the SAWs generated by these devices do not exhibit frequency shift commonly observed with metal IDTs.