Electropatterning - Contemporary developments for selective particle arrangements employing electrokinetics.

The selective positioning and arrangement of distinct types of multiscale particles can be used in numerous applications in microfluidics, including integrated circuits, sensors and biochips. Electrokinetic techniques offer an extensive range of options for label-free manipulation and patterning of colloidal particles by exploiting the intrinsic electrical properties of the target of interest. Electrokinetic-based techniques have been widely implemented inb many recent studies, and various methodologies and microfluidic device designs have been developed to achieve patterning 2D and 3D patterned structures. This review provides an overview of the progress in electropatterning research during the last five years in the microfluidics arena. This article discusses the advances in the electropatterning of colloids, droplets, synthetic particles, cells, and gels. Each subsection analyses the manipulation of the particles of interest via electrokinetic techniques such as electrophoresis and dielectrophoresis. The conclusions summarize recent advances and provide an outlook on the future of electropatterning in various fields of application, especially those with 3D arrangements as their end goal. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.