The Use of Microfluidics in Rheology

The combination of microfluidics and fluorescent-labeled DNA molecules in rheology provides a unique opportunity to relate the microstructure of polymer molecules to their macroscopic properties. For example, the direct visualization of a model polymer system such as single DNA dynamics of individual DNA molecules, improves our understanding of the rheological behavior of dilute and concentrated polymer solutions. This review summarizes the microfluidic rheology for synthetic polymer and DNA solutions, including both experimental and simulation efforts, in investigating dilute and concentrated polymer solutions.