Nano and Microfluidics

A. Timperman (FBBG Lead), Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University
Boyd Edwards, Department of Physics, West Virginia University

Objectives

Nanofluidics - next generation functionality

• Objective: Understand mechanisms of mass transport through nanocapillaries in electrically driven systems.
• Goal: to make robust analyte concentrators, concentrating microreactors and nanofluidic valves.
• Application: Development of microfluidic system for proteome analysis, including protein separation, concentration, digestion, and mass spec. analysis.

Microfluidics - connect real world to nanodevices

• Evanescent (SPARROW) biosensor and cantilevers - reagent delivery.
• Photonic crystal - membrane formation in PC defect sites.

Approach

• Investigate fundamentals of mass transport through nanocapillary membranes (NCMs) in microfluidic systems.
• Experimental (Timperman) and Theoretical (Edwards) analysis of nanocapillary/microfluidic systems.
• NCM concentrator and concentrating microreactor applied initial in proteome analysis testbed.
• Microfluidic development for Photonics and Electronics Groups (FBBGs).

Accomplishments and Plans

• First report of NCMs as analyte concentrators in electro-kinetic microfluidic systems. Zhang & Timperman Analyst 2003, 128, 537.
• NCM/microfluidic interfaces as fluidic rectifiers, in preparation.
• Search planned for theory post-doc to build initial modeling studies.
• Future Directions: 1) NSF-Chem proposal resubmission in prep. 2) increase speed and investigate effects of system parameters 3) complete initial modeling and solidify approach.