Collaborative Proposal: Nanoparticle Separations in Nanochannels Using Fluidic Field Effect Transistors

CBET-0756823 Ivor这项由化学和生物分离计划颁发的NSF奖支持新墨西哥大学(UNM)的San M.han教授和华盛顿州大学(WSU)的Cornelius F.象牙教授的工作，以建立对纳米颗粒在纳米通道中传输的基本理解，目的是设计利用纳米通道阵列的小而规则尺寸的新分离技术。今天，纳米颗粒被广泛应用于各种工程应用，如太阳能电池中的发电元件，发光二极管的下转换荧光粉，以及医学成像中作为生物标记的量子点。对于许多这样的应用，根据大小、形状和各向异性水平对颗粒进行细分将允许对其独特的物理性质进行系统的定量研究。在这一广泛的工程目标的背景下，我们将重点放在(1)分析纳米颗粒传输和(2)应用分离策略，使用场效应晶体管(FET)的流体模拟。流体场效应晶体管在局部控制纳米沟道中的纵向电场和基于粒子的物理化学性质控制粒子的横向分布方面具有独特的优势。我们预计，拟议的研究不仅将加深我们对纳米通道中颗粒的平衡分布和动态输运过程的理解，还将开发用于纳米通道阵列的各种分离策略。拟议的研究计划还提供了一个跨学科的教育环境，指导每个机构的一名研究生。这两个私人投资机构将继续积极地让代表性不足的研究生和本科生参与研究。除了研究教育，该计划将有助于改善PI？新开发的技术选修课，如UNM的微纳流体学基础和WSU的现代分离。这些选修课将广泛影响不同学科的学生，从化学工程到生物，再到数学。外展计划将与UNM的多样性计划和工程学生计划以及西斯安那州立大学的教师暑期工程体验计划(SMET)相协调，以利用研究型教育机会积极教育潜在的高中生和教师。所有这些推广方案都有很大的潜力来提高接受中学后教育的高中生的比例，并增加少数族裔学生(特别是西班牙裔和美洲土著人)和妇女的入学率。该教育计划直接满足了新墨西哥州大学和西苏里州立大学学生和教职员工所表达的需求。该项目还将加强美国国家科学基金会S在新墨西哥州纳米材料领域的EPSCoR倡议。

CBET-0756823IvoryThis NSF award by the Chemical and Biological Separations program supports work by Professors San M. Han and Cornelius F. Ivory at the University of New Mexico (UNM) and Washington State University (WSU), respectively, to establish a basic understanding of nanoparticle transport in nanochannels for the purpose of devising new separation techniques which take advantage of the small, regular dimensions of nanochannel arrays. Today, nanoparticles are widely exploited for a variety of engineering applications, such as power-generating elements in solar cells, down-conversion phosphors for light emitting diodes, and quantum dots as bio-labels in medical imaging. For many of these applications, subfractionating the particles based on size, shape, and level of anisotropy would allow a systematic, quantitative study of their unique physical properties. Within the context of this broad engineering goal, we will focus on (1) analysis of nanoparticle transport and (2) applied separation strategies, using a fluid analog of field effect transistors (FETs). Fluidic FETs offer unique advantages to locally control the longitudinal electric field in nanochannels and to manipulate the transverse distribution of particles based on their physicochemical properties. We envision that the proposed research will not only deepen our understanding of both the equilibrium distribution and the dynamic transport processes of particles in nanochannels, but will also develop a variety of separation strategies for use in nanochannel arrays. The proposed research program also offers an interdisciplinary educational environment to mentor 1 graduate student at each institution. Both PIs will continue to actively involve underrepresented graduate and undergraduate students in research. In addition to research education, the program will help improve the PIs? newly developed technical electives, such as Fundamentals in Micro/Nanofluidics at UNM and Modern Separations at WSU. These elective courses will broadly impact students from various disciplines that range from chemical engineering, to biology, to mathematics. The outreach program will be coordinated with Diversity Programs and Engineering Student Programs at UNM as well as Summer at WSU Engineering Experiences for Teachers (SWEET) program to actively educate prospective high school students and teachers using research-oriented educational opportunities. All these outreach programs have significant potential to improve the percentage of high school students pursuing post-secondary education and increase the enrollment of minority students (especially Hispanics and Native Americans) and women. The educational plan directly addresses the expressed needs of both students and faculty at UNM and WSU. This project will also enhance the NSF?s EPSCoR initiative in nanomaterials in New Mexico.