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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.