Coalescence and mixing dynamics of droplets in acoustic levitation by selective colour imaging and measurement

Acoustic levitation is well-suited to ‘lab-on-a-drop’ contactless chemical analysis of droplets. Rapid mixing is of fundamental importance in lab-on-a-drop platforms and many other applications involving droplet manipulation. Small droplets, however, have low Reynolds numbers; thus, mixing via turbulence is not possible. Inducing surface oscillation is effective in this regard, however, the relationship between internal flow and mixing dynamics of droplets remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a set of simultaneous optical measurements to assess both the flow field and the distribution of fluid components within acoustically levitated droplets. To achieve this, we developed a technique to selectively separate fluorescent particles within each fluid, permitting the measurement of the concentration field based on the data from the discrete particle distribution. This approach revealed a relationship between the mixing process and the internal flow caused by surface oscillation. Thus, the internal flow induced by surface oscillation could enhance droplet mixing. Our findings will be conducive to the application and further development of lab-on-a-drop devices.