Experimental and Simulation Investigations of Magnetic Liquid Marble Manipulation with a Permanent Magnet

摘要

Magnetic liquid marbles are defined as non-stick droplets encapsulated with hydrophobic magnetic nanoparticles. These liquid marbles show great responsiveness to external magnetic force when magnetic coating or content is utilized. In this study, first, in the experimental section, for production of a magnetic liquid marble, Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized. After this, the transport of the liquid marble under the influence of magnetic field of a permanent rectangular magnet was carried out. Reversible opening and closing of the nanoparticle shell by the permanent magnet was conducted. Second, in the simulation section, by modeling our liquid marble by a droplet with an elastic shell, the effects of gravity and magnetic forces on a magnetizable layer were simulated by Finite Element Method and compared with experimental data. The comparison with the experimental data validates and shows the accuracy of the simulation which is the novelty of our work. This liquid marble with the ability of opening and closing of nanoparticle shell under the magnetic field effect has the potential to be used as a miniaturized robot or bioreactor.