» Prtintable Version
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.