This work concerns the development of a novel actuator based on water electrolysis for use in microfluidic systems. The electrolysis is performed inside a confined micro-reservoir integrated on a PCB substrate which is connected to a microchannel. During the electrolysis process, the generated gases within the enclosed structure lead to a significant pressure increase which can be employed in order to move a liquid inside the microchannel. In order to demonstrate the device's principle of operation, water is driven through a meander micro-structure which is connected at the output of the micro-tank. Furthermore, the effectiveness of employing electrolysis as an actuating principle has been investigated by monitoring the obtained pressure increase for a device with a larger reservoir; preliminary results are clearly promising.
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