Microfluidic probing of the complex interfacial rheology of multilayer capsules

Abstract

Microfluidics is used to produce model polymer capsules and study in situ their behavior in controlled divergent flows. Our model capsules are obtained by assembling polymer monolayers and hydrogen-bonded bilayers at the surface of oil droplets in water. We probe in situ the mechanical properties of the membranes in a controlled divergent flow generated by introducing the capsules through a constriction and then in a larger chamber.