Precise temperature control in microfluidic devices using Joule heating of ionic liquids.

Microfluidic devices for spatially localised heating of microchannel environments were designed, fabricated and tested. The devices are simple to implement, do not require complex manufacturing steps and enable intra-channel temperature control to within +/-0.2 degrees C. Ionic liquids held in co-running channels are Joule heated with an a.c. current. The nature of the devices means that the internal temperature can be directly assessed in a facile manner.