CAREER: Alternating Current Electrophoresis in Spatially Non-Uniform Electric Fields

职业：空间不均匀电场中的交流电泳

• 批准号: 2340925
• 负责人: Ran An
• 金额: $ 51.55万
• 依托单位: University of Houston
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-07-01 至 2029-06-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2340925&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Alternating; Current; Electrophoresis; Spatially

Electrolytes are charged ions and molecules such as sodium, lithium, and potassium hydroxide that conduct electricity. Applying an alternating current (AC) electric field to electrolytes in a solution causes them to migrate because of their charge properties. This phenomenon is used in many important applications, including supercapacitors, high-rate batteries, and cellular and biomolecular manipulation like cell sorting. AC electric fields can be regular waves of alternating voltage (spatially uniform) or less predictable, irregular waves (spatially non-uniform). Scientists have assumed that applying AC voltages to an electrolyte solution encourages the electrolytes to migrate in a way that does not affect the overall bulk solution properties. However, recent research studies revealed that electrolyte bulk solution properties change when a spatially non-uniform AC electric field is applied. Effects such as flow reversal, pH shifts, solution osmotic pressure change, and the generation of ion concentration gradients were observed. This project’s objective is to understand how electrolytes and other charged particles respond to spatially non-uniform AC electric fields in bulk solutions over extended periods. This fundamental knowledge can be applied to develop novel technologies for molecular biosensing, water desalination, and high-throughput drug screening assays. The project will also support STEM outreach and educational activities. It aims to develop industrially relevant skillsets for graduate and undergraduate students through interactions with industrial leaders and industry-informed student projects. The investigator also aims to cultivate interest in STEM education and technology-driven solutions to enhance healthcare and societal well-being among high school students from underserved communities.This project will test the hypothesis that the biased AC electromigration under spatially non-uniform AC electric fields facilitates the directed enrichment and generation of concentration gradients of biochemically relevant charged species in bulk aqueous phase and biofluids. The specific research objectives are to (A) engineer a new system for isolating confounding variables from biased AC electromigration, (B) interrogate the influence of spatially non-uniform AC electric field properties on biased AC electromigration behaviors of designated charged species, and (C) elucidate the influence of charged species’ intrinsic properties on their biased AC electromigration behavior under designated spatially non-uniform AC electric fields. This project will provide a fundamental understanding of the behaviors of charged species under spatially non-uniform AC electric fields in the bulk solution beyond the electric double layer and at longer times than previously studied (60 seconds). This fundamental understanding of biased AC electromigration is broadly relevant to many scientific communities; it can be applied to develop technologies that (1) selectively enrich or deplete biomolecules, which will improve the sensitivity and accuracy of biosensing by allowing the detection of concentrations of target molecules that are otherwise below detection limits and (2) generate spatially and temporally controllable and quantifiable two- and three-dimensional gradients.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

电解质是带电的离子和分子，例如导电的钠、锂和氢氧化钾。对溶液中的电解质施加交流 (AC) 电场会导致电解质因其电荷特性而发生迁移。这种现象被用于许多重要的应用，包括超级电容器、高倍率电池以及细胞和生物分子操作（如细胞分选）。交流电场可以是交流电压的规则波（空间均匀），也可以是难以预测的不规则波（空间不均匀）。科学家们假设，向电解质溶液施加交流电压会促进电解质以不影响整体溶液性质的方式迁移。然而，最近的研究表明，当施加空间不均匀的交流电场时，电解质本体溶液的性质会发生变化。观察到流动逆转、pH 值变化、溶液渗透压变化和离子浓度梯度产生等影响。该项目的目标是了解电解质和其他带电粒子在长时间内如何响应本体溶液中的空间不均匀交流电场。这些基础知识可用于开发分子生物传感、海水淡化和高通量药物筛选分析的新技术。该项目还将支持 STEM 推广和教育活动。它旨在通过与行业领导者和行业知情的学生项目的互动，为研究生和本科生培养与行业相关的技能。研究人员还旨在培养对 STEM 教育和技术驱动解决方案的兴趣，以增强来自服务不足社区的高中生的医疗保健和社会福祉。该项目将测试以下假设：空间非均匀交流电场下的偏置交流电迁移有助于在大量水相和生物流体中定向富集和生成生化相关带电物种的浓度梯度。具体研究目标是（A）设计一个新系统，用于从偏置交流电迁移中隔离混杂变量，（B）探讨空间非均匀交流电场特性对指定带电物质的偏置交流电迁移行为的影响，以及（C）阐明在指定空间非均匀交流电场下，带电物质的固有特性对其偏置交流电迁移行为的影响 字段。该项目将提供对带电物质在双电层之外的本体溶液中空间不均匀交流电场下的行为的基本了解，以及比之前研究的时间（60 秒）更长的时间。这种对偏置交流电迁移的基本理解与许多科学界广泛相关。它可用于开发以下技术：(1) 选择性富集或消耗生物分子，通过允许检测低于检测限的目标分子浓度，提高生物传感的灵敏度和准确性；(2) 生成空间和时间上可控且可量化的二维和三维梯度。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并被认为值得获得 通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来提供支持。