NIRT: Carbon Nanopipes for Nanofluidic Devices and In-situ Fluid Studies

该提案是在征集NSF 01-157“纳米科学与工程”下提交的，属于纳米级跨学科研究团队(NIRT)类别。碳纳米管(纳米管)为在分子和连续介质行为之间的空间区域内的流体传输的基础研究提供了一个独特的机会。这项研究包括：(A)碳纳米管的制造、表征和改性，(B)化学和流体实验的性能，以及(C)能够以受控方式传输和测量各种液体流动的实验装置的制造。流体的驱动和成像都是在透射电子显微镜中完成的，这为研究与热力学图的亚临界、近临界或超临界区域相对应的条件下纳米通道中流体的行为提供了独特的机会。水热生长技术将进行优化，以产生所需的管子结构和几何形状(内径/外径、长度和形状)，以整合到允许液体通过纳米管传输的实验设备中。将通过跟踪可视化流体界面对外部热刺激的动态响应和通过良好控制的实验来研究直径从5到100 nm的通道中的流体行为，在这些实验中，纯液体和携带大分子的液体将通过管道传输。将研究碳纳米管和水溶液之间的高温相互作用的化学。纳米管的化学修饰、金属化和开放将使用两极电化学进行。实验工作将通过基于并行分子动力学模拟的建模来补充。人们相信，拟议的研究将促进对设计和制造新一代纳米流体器件所需的基本理解，如纳米泵、芯片上的化学工厂、生物芯片和纳米分析系统。研究小组还将协调和扩大个别调查人员的现有教育和外联活动，使之成为一个连贯和广泛的方案。这项工作涉及德雷克塞尔大学、宾夕法尼亚大学和伊利诺伊大学芝加哥分校的调查人员。国家科学基金会的支助由工程局的化学和运输系统司和设计、制造和工业创新司以及数学和物理科学局的化学司提供。

The proposal was submitted under Solicitation NSF 01-157 "Nanoscale Science and Engineering," under the Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team (NIRT) category. Carbon nanotubes (nanopipes) offer a unique opportunity for fundamental studies of fluid transport in the spatial regime between molecular and continuum behavior. This research includes: (a) fabrication, characterization, and modification of carbon nanopipes, (b) performance of chemical and fluidic experiments, and (c) fabrication of experimental setups that would allow transport and measurements of various liquid flows in a controlled fashion. Both actuation and imaging of the fluid are done in a transmission electron microscope, and offer a unique opportunity for studying the behavior of fluids in nanosize channels at conditions corresponding to sub-, near- or super-critical regions of the thermodynamic diagram. The hydrothermal growth technique will be optimized to produce desired tube structure and geometry (internal/external diameter, length, and shape) for incorporation into experimental devices that allow the transmission of liquids through nanotubes. Fluid behavior in channels ranging from 5 to 100 nm in diameter will be investigated, both by following the dynamic response of visualized fluid interfaces to external thermal stimuli and by well controlled experiments, in which pure liquids and liquids laden with macromolecules will be transmitted through the tubes. The chemistry of high-temperature interactions between carbon nanopipes and aqueous fluids will be studied. Chemical modification, metallization, and opening of nanopipes will be done using bipolar electrochemistry. The experimental work will be supplemented by modeling based on parallel molecular dynamics simulations. It is believed that the proposed research will advance the fundamental understanding needed for the design and fabrication of a new generation of nanofluidic devices, such as nano-pumps, chemical factories on a chip, biochips, and nano-analytical systems. The research team will also coordinate and expand the existing education and outreach activities of the individual investigators into a cohesive and wide-ranging program. The work involves investigators at Drexel, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. NSF support is being provided by the Chemical and Transport Systems Division and the Design, Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Division in the Engineering Directorate, and by the Chemistry Division in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate.