Iterative Dipole Moment Method for the Dielectrophoretic Particle-Particle Interaction in a DC Electric Field

Abstract

Electric force is the most popular technique for bioparticle transportation and manipulation in microfluidic systems. In this paper, the iterative dipole moment (IDM) method was used to calculate the dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces of particle-particle interactions in a two-dimensional DC electric field, and the Lagrangian method was used to solve the transportation of particles. It was found that the DEP properties and whether the connection line between initial positions of particles perpendicular or parallel to the electric field greatly affect the chain patterns. In addition, the dependence of the DEP particle interaction upon the particle diameters, initial particle positions, and the DEP properties have been studied in detail. The conclusions are advantageous in elelctrokinetic microfluidic systems where it may be desirable to control, manipulate, and assemble bioparticles.