Liquid Dynamics in Nano-Confined Geometries: Nanohydrodynamics

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Non-Technical:This project, co-funded by the Fluid Dynamics (CBET) and Condensed Matter Physics (DMR) programs, will explore the dynamic properties of water solutions in nanoconfined geometries. The understanding and the ability to manipulate fluids at the nanoscale are crucial for gene sequencing, protein segregation, cell sorting, bio and chemical sensors, nanotribology and diffusion through porous media. The goal of this proposal is to understand the dynamic properties, namely viscosity, slippage and electrokinetic effects, of water solutions confined in gaps and/or channels with dimensions in the range from zero to twenty nanometers. The role of confinement, temperature, ion concentration, ion specificity, electric field, surface chemistry, and surface roughness will be investigated. The advancement in the research will be accompanied by the training of graduate and undergraduate students to use state of the art technological instrumentation, and to elaborate creative experiments and models by using interdisciplinary knowledge. The research will be carried out in collaboration with a European network for the study of nano-confined liquids. Technical:This project, co-funded by the Fluid Dynamics (CBET) and Condensed Matter Physics (DMR) programs, will explore the dynamic properties of water solutions in nanoconfined geometries. The understanding and the ability to manipulate fluids at the nanoscale are crucial for gene sequencing, protein segregation, cell sorting, bio and chemical sensors, nanotribology and diffusion through porous media. The goal of this proposal is to understand the dynamic properties, namely viscosity, slippage and electrokinetic effects, of water solutions confined in gaps and/or channels with dimensions in the range from zero to twenty nanometers. The role of confinement, temperature, ion concentration, ion specificity, electric field, surface chemistry, and surface roughness, will be investigated by means of atomic force microscopy. Nanopatterned surfaces and nanochannels with sub-15 nm dimensions will be fabricate by means of a new, fast, simple and versatile thermo-chemical nanolitography technique. The advancement in the research will be accompanied by the training of graduate and undergraduate students to use state of the art technological instrumentation, and to elaborate creative experiments and models by using interdisciplinary knowledge. The research will be carried out in collaboration with a European network for the study of nano-confined liquids.