Monodisperse w/w/w double emulsion induced by phase separation

We develop an approach to fabricate monodisperse water-in-water-in-water (w/w/w) double emulsion in microfluidic devices. A jet of aqueous solution containing two incompatible solutes, dextran and polyethylene glycol (PEG), is periodically perturbed into water-in-water (w/w) droplets. By extracting water out of the w/w droplet, the solute concentrations in the droplet phase increase; when the concentrations exceed the miscibility limit, the droplet phase separates into two immiscible phases. Consequently, PEG-rich droplets are formed within the single emulsion templates. These PEG-rich droplets subsequently coalesce with each other, resulting in transiently stable w/w/w double emulsions with a high degree of size uniformity. These double emulsions are free of organic solvents and thus are ideal for use as droplet-vessels in protein purification, as microreactors for biochemical reactions, and as templates for fabrication of biomaterials. © 2012 American Chemical Society.