Dr Francesco Del Giudice

Research Highlights

1. Del Giudice, F. (2019). Viscoelastic focusing of polydisperse particle suspensions in a straight circular microchannel. Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, 23(7)

   https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-019-2263-5, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa50885
2. Del Giudice, F., D'Avino, G., Greco, F., Santo, I., Netti, P., & Maffettone, P. (2015). Rheometry-on-a-chip: measuring the relaxation time of a viscoelastic liquid through particle migration in microchannel flows. Lab on a Chip, 15(3), 783-792.

   https://doi.org/10.1039/c4lc01157k, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa41006
3. Del Giudice, F., Haward, S., & Shen, A. (2017). Relaxation time of dilute polymer solutions: A microfluidic approach. Journal of Rheology, 61(2), 327-337.

   https://doi.org/10.1122/1.4975933, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa41012
4. Del Giudice, F., D’Avino, G., Greco, F., Maffettone, P., & Shen, A. (2018). Fluid Viscoelasticity Drives Self-Assembly of Particle Trains in a Straight Microfluidic Channel. Physical Review Applied, 10(6)

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.10.064058, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa46231
5. Matsumoto, A., Del Giudice, F., Rotrattanadumrong, R., & Shen, A. (2019). Rheological Scaling of Ionic-Liquid-Based Polyelectrolytes in Ionic Liquid Solutions. Macromolecules, 52(7), 2759-2771.

   https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.8b02544, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa49624
6. Del Giudice, F., Sathish, S., D’Avino, G., & Shen, A. (2017). “From the Edge to the Center”: Viscoelastic Migration of Particles and Cells in a Strongly Shear-Thinning Liquid Flowing in a Microchannel. Analytical Chemistry, 89(24), 13146-13159.

   https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.7b02450, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa41015

   http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.7b02450
7. Del Giudice, F., Tassieri, M., Oelschlaeger, C., & Shen, A. (2017). When Microrheology, Bulk Rheology, and Microfluidics Meet: Broadband Rheology of Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Water Solutions. Macromolecules, 50(7), 2951-2963.

   https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.6b02727, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa41013
8. Del Giudice, F., Cunning, B., Ruoff, R., & Shen, A. (2018). Filling the gap between transient and steady shear rheology of aqueous graphene oxide dispersions. Rheologica Acta, 57(4), 293-306.

   https://doi.org/10.1007/s00397-018-1077-9, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa41016
9. Del Giudice, F. & Shen, A. (2017). Shear rheology of graphene oxide dispersions. Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering, 16, 23-30.

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coche.2017.04.003, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa41014
10. Del Giudice, F., Calcagno, V., Taliento, V., Greco, F., Netti, P., & Maffettone, P. (2017). Relaxation time of polyelectrolyte solutions: When μ-rheometry steps in charge. Journal of Rheology, 61(1), 13-21.

    https://doi.org/10.1122/1.4965930, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa41011
11. Del Giudice, F., Greco, F., Netti, P., & Maffettone, P. (2016). Is microrheometry affected by channel deformation?. Biomicrofluidics, 10(4), 043501

    https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4945603, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa41010
12. Del Giudice, F., D’Avino, G., Greco, F., Netti, P., & Maffettone, P. (2015). Effect of fluid rheology on particle migration in a square-shaped microchannel. Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, 19(1), 95-104.

    https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-015-1552-x, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa41009
13. Tassieri, M., Giudice, F., Robertson, E., Jain, N., Fries, B., Wilson, R., Glidle, A., Greco, F., Netti, P., Maffettone, P., Bicanic, T., Cooper, J., & Del Giudice, F. (2015). Microrheology with Optical Tweezers: Measuring the relative viscosity of solutions ‘at a glance’. Scientific Reports, 5(1)

    https://doi.org/10.1038/srep08831, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa41008
14. Del Giudice, F., Madadi, H., Villone, M., D'Avino, G., Cusano, A., Vecchione, R., Ventre, M., Maffettone, P., & Netti, P. (2015). Magnetophoresis ‘meets’ viscoelasticity: deterministic separation of magnetic particles in a modular microfluidic device. Lab on a Chip, 15(8), 1912-1922.

    https://doi.org/10.1039/c5lc00106d, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa41007
15. Del Giudice, F., Romeo, G., D'Avino, G., Greco, F., Netti, P., & Maffettone, P. (2013). Particle alignment in a viscoelastic liquid flowing in a square-shaped microchannel. Lab on a Chip, 13(21), 4263

    https://doi.org/10.1039/c3lc50679g, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa41005
16. Del Giudice, F. (2020). Simultaneous measurement of rheological properties in a microfluidic rheometer. Physics of Fluids, 32(5)

    https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0006060, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa53946
17. Jeyasountharan, A., Shahrivar, K., D’Avino, G., & Del Giudice, F. (2021). Viscoelastic Particle Train Formation in Microfluidic Flows Using a Xanthan Gum Aqueous Solution. Analytical Chemistry, 93(13), 5503-5512.

    https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c05370, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56355
18. Del Giudice, F., D'Avino, G., & Maffettone, P. (2021). Microfluidic formation of crystal-like structures. Lab on a Chip, 21(11), 2069-2094.

    https://doi.org/10.1039/d1lc00144b, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56876
19. Shahrivar, K. & Del Giudice, F. (2021). Controlled viscoelastic particle encapsulation in microfluidic devices. Soft Matter, 17(35), 8068-8077.

    https://doi.org/10.1039/d1sm00941a, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57561

All Research

• Deterministic Encapsulation of Particles And Cells In Microfluidic Devices (current)

  PhD

  Other supervisor: Prof Rhodri Williams

• EG-160 Fluid Mechanics 1

• EG-256 Fluid Mechanics 1

  The module provides an introduction to the methods that can be employed by engineers for the analysis of basic problems involving stationary and flowing fluids.

• EG-M160 Advanced Microfluidics

  Microfluidics is the set of science and technology at the micrometer scale. In the last 30 years, microfluidic devices have been widely employed for a variety of engineering applications, including cell and particle separation, fabrication of fiber, production of droplets and microparticles and characterization of complex fluids. In all these applications, chemical engineers have employed their skills to work across scientific fields in order to promote significant improvement in many areas including diagnostic, molecule detection and advanced manufacturing. Microfluidics has enormous advantages compared to conventional techniques such as small volume of samples required (less than 1 ml), easy and accurate control of flow parameters, larger sensitivity, compact size. In this course, we will introduce the advanced phenomena occurring at the micrometer scales. We will see how complex flows can be used to drive a variety of further phenomena including alignment and spacing of particles, droplet formation, particle fabrication, and cell separation. We will employ a critical approach to identify limitations of existing microfluidic technologies and we will develop a mindset oriented towards problem solving (i.e., positive attitude) and design of alternative devices for targeted applications. A workshop will be run to see how chemical engineering skills can be used across different fields. Impact of artificial intelligence on the microfluidic practice will also be discussed. Laboratory activities will be employed to strengthen the concepts learned during the lectures. The concepts presented in this course underpin active and ongoing research. The lecturer running the course is the head of the Rheological Microfluidic lab at Swansea University.

• EGZ300 Environmental Engineering Practice

  Environmental impact of industrial processes is at the corner stone of process engineering. All the industrial processes are subjected to strict environmental regulations, including those on emissions and pollution. Therefore, the design of a chemical plant cannot be based on process considerations only, but it requires detailed environmental considerations. In may cases, actually, environmental considerations are those that drive the design of a specific process or unit operation. Without a quantification of the environmental impact, no productive process can be run. This class will introduce the student to the environmental pollution caused by industrial and every day life activities. We will present practical procedures to reduce pollutant (solid and gaseous) contained in industrial process streams down to the legislation level. Students will also learn how to quantify the emissions by using the IChemE sustainability metrics.

• IMPACT Equipment Grant 2021

  , ~£30,000

• Royal Society International Exchange 2020 - 2022

  , ~£6,000

• Deterministic encapsulation of particles and cells through viscoelastic ordering in microfluidic devices 2019 - 2022

  , £325,000

• Lecturer, Swansea University

  May 2018 - Present

• Postdoctoral Scholar, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate School

  2015 - 2018

• Fellow, Centre for Advanced biomaterials for Healthcare – Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia

  2012 - 2015

Dr Francesco Del Giudice actively participated in public engagement activities including the OIST cafe in Tokyo in 2017 (https://groups.oist.jp/ja/grad/oist-café-tokyo-july-23rd-2017-0). He has also been selected as guest speaker to promote science to Japanese middle school, high school, and graduate school. 

Dr Del Giudice is currently seeking new public engagement activities to impact Wales and UK at large.

• Rheo-manipulation of particle and cell trajectories in microfluidic devices

  2019

  Institute of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics meeting, Lake Vyrnwy

• Steady and transient rheology of Graphene Oxide dispersions

  2016

  University of Naples Federico II

• Introduction to rheology and rheometry by using Anton Paar MCR 302

  2013

  Glasgow University

• Functional Chartered College Member, Institute of Chemical Engineering (IChemE)

  2021 - Present