SGER: A Microscale Impedance Measurement System for Nanofluidics

CBET-0813944 Prakash这项探索性工作旨在开发一种新的微纳混合工具，用于水净化，蛋白质组学，分子传感和芯片分离中应用的纳米流体传输现象的原位监测，表征和控制。这种集成了工作电极、反电极和参比电极的微加工多层工具将测量各种物质在纳米级流体组件（如纳米孔、纳米通道和纳米胶囊）中传输的阻抗。这些测量的基础上的电化学阻抗谱（EIS）的原则，将阐明物理运输内的限制纳米几何形状。电化学家和生物学家已经使用阻抗方法来研究反应动力学和细胞运输。然而，这项探索性的工作是使用这些方法来评估跨纳米流体组件的传输的第一次尝试之一，导致研究中固有的复杂性和风险。如果成功，预计这项探索性工作将导致开发一种新的微尺度系统，用于探测，表征和最终控制纳米级传输，通过详细描述表面电荷，分析物类型，电解质性质，表面传导和壁物种相互作用的作用，将显着增强对纳米流体的基本理解。开发一种探测纳米尺度传输现象的工具将为回答纳米尺度传输现象的基本问题开辟新的途径。有关表面电荷，表面导电，电解质性质和分析物类型等众多参数的定量信息将为纳米流体的新生领域的重大进展奠定基础。这些应用有望在蛋白质组学和基因组学、水净化以及化学和生物传感器方面取得革命性进展，对公共健康和福利产生重要影响。这项研究计划的一个重要组成部分将是开发一个新的课程，在微和纳米系统，重点是微和纳米流体。通过机械工程教授的这门跨学科课程将培养未来一代的科学家和工程师，以便在不断发展的微流体和纳米流体领域继续发挥作用。

CBET-0813944PrakashThis exploratory work seeks to develop a new micro-nano hybrid tool for in-situ monitoring, characterization, and control of nanofluidic transport phenomena for applications in water purification, proteomics, molecular sensing, and on-chip separations. This microfabricated multi-layer tool with integrated working, counter, and reference electrodes will measure the impedance to transport of various species across nanoscale fluidic components like nanopores, nanochannels, and nanocapillaries. These measurements based on the principles of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) will illuminate the physics of transport within confined nanoscale geometries. Electrochemists and biologists have used impedance methods to study reaction kinetics and cell transport. However, this exploratory work is one of the first attempts to use these methods for evaluating transport across nanofluidic components leading to inherent complexity and risk in the research. If successful, it is expected that this exploratory work will lead to the development of a new microscale system for probing, characterizing, and eventually controlling nanoscale transport that will significantly enhance fundamental understanding of nanofluidics by describing in detail the role of surface charge, analyte type, electrolyte properties, surface conduction, and wall-species interactions. Developing a tool to probe nanoscale transport phenomena will open new avenues for answering fundamental questions about nanoscale transport phenomena. Quantitative information about the multitude of parameters like surface charge, surface conduction, electrolyte properties, and analyte type will lay the foundation for significant advances in the nascent field of nanofluidics. These applications are expected to provide revolutionary advances in proteomics and genomics, water purification, and chemical and biological sensors with important implications towards public health and welfare. An essential component of this research program will be to develop a new course in micro- and nanosystems with a focus on micro- and nanofluidics. This cross-disciplinary course taught through mechanical engineering will train future generation of scientists and engineers for continued impact in the growing field of micro- and nanofluidics.