Presence of single wall carbon nanotubes on electroosmotic flow and microfluidic surface properties

碳纳米管于1991年被发现。随后的研究发现，它们卓越的材料性能（机械和电气）可能是广泛应用的理想候选者。例如，碳纳米管是一类新型纳米纤维，在聚合物复合材料的结构增强或纳米流体系统的管道方面具有潜在的应用前景。然而，碳纳米管对微流体系统等表面/界面性质的影响却很少被研究。我们最近发现，在聚合物表面添加少量碳纳米管可以减少压力驱动微流体系统的所谓电粘性效应。在本研究中，我们旨在通过更精确和分析的研究设备来详细检查这些现象。这个项目的成功完成可能会导致通过添加碳纳米管来简单地调整表面能量来减少微通道中的粘性力的重要想法的商业化，从而提高微电子冷却的效率。

Carbon nanotubes were discovered in 1991. Subsequent studies found that their remarkable material properties (mechanical and electrical) could be an ideal candidate for a wide range of applications. For example, CNTs represent a new class of nanofibers with potential applications on structural reinforcement of polymer as composites or as conduits in nanofluidic systems. Nevertheless, the effect of CNTs on surface/interfacial properties such as those in microfluidic systems is rarely explored. We have recently found that addition of a small amount of carbon nanotubes into a polymer surface could reduce the so-called electroviscous effect from pressure-driven microfluidic systems. In this study, we aim to examine these phenomena in detail by means of the more accurate and analytical research equipment. Successful completion of this project could lead to commercialization of the importance idea in reducing viscous force in microchannels by simply tailoring surface energetics through carbon nanotube addition and hence improves the efficiency for cooling of microelectronics.