Polymer Nanofluidic Field-Effect Pumping

描述（由申请人提供）：该提案描述了一项研究计划，用于开发纳米通道泵浦的新技术，该技术由我们的研究团队首创，称为场效应流控制（FEFC）。该技术基于对标准电子流（EOF）的改进，通过独立于纵向电子流电场的次级栅极电压来调制流速。该技术允许对大量相互连接的纳米通道内的流动进行直接和独立的控制，并有望影响广泛的生物分析仪器。所提出的纳米流体FEFC泵送技术是一种新颖的方法，与其他技术相比，它将为纳米通道流动控制提供独特的优势，即(i)多个泵送元件独立运行，（ii）与标准聚合物纳米流体技术兼容，（iii）消除泵泄漏，实现100%的泵效率，（iv）复杂纳米流体系统中纳米通道泵送元件的大规模集成，以及(v)制造简单，成本低。第一阶段项目的总体目标是证明聚合物FEFC纳米泵送技术的可行性，并与其他纳米通道流动控制方法相比，评估其相对优点。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal describes a research plan for the development of a new technology for nanochannel pumping using a technique pioneered by our research team called Field-Effect Flow Control (FEFC). This technique is based on a modification of standard electronsmotic flow (EOF), with modulation of the flow velocity provided by a secondary gate voltage independent from the lengthwise EOF electric field. The technology allows for direct and independent control of flow within large numbers of interconnected nanochannels, and is expected to impact a broad range of bioanalytical instrumentation. The proposed nanofluidic FEFC pumping technology is a novel approach which will provide nanochannel flow control with specific advantages over other techniques, namely (i) independent operation of multiple pumping elements, (ii) compatibility with standard polymer nanofluidic technologies, (iii) elimination of pump leakage for 100% pump efficiency, (iv) very large scale integration of nanochannel pumping elements for complex nanofluidic systems, and (v) simple fabrication and low cost. The overall goal of this Phase I project is to demonstrate the feasibility of polymer FEFC nanopumping technology, and evaluate its relative merits compared to alternate methods of nanochannel flow control. Practical tools for the analysis of single molecules and other novel bioanalytical instrumentation are anticipated to result from advances in flow control for nanofluidic systems. One example of the potential for this technology is in the sequencing of single strands of DNA by pumping individual molecules through a nanoscale channel, with integrated electrodes interrogating the conductivity of each base (1). Other applications of great interest include nanofluidic devices to mimic biological processes, and to carry out single-molecule chemical reactions.