Customized Design of Scalable Microfluidic Droplet Generators Using Step-Emulsification Methods

Customized monodisperse microparticles and microcapsules can be produced by combining microfluidic droplet generation with subsequent particle solidification. Established microfluidic devices for droplet formation like flow‐focusing structures or T‐junctions provide high reproducibility and controllability, but are often limited in terms of throughput or variability. A higher throughput by means of simple numbering‐up can be achieved by applying alternative droplet formation mechanisms like step emulsification. Using laser‐ablated glass reactors designed in‐house, comprehensive studies with varied step geometry and process parameters were performed in order to provide fundamental data for general calculation methods allowing the fast design of customized microfluidic droplet generators.