Current Research
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Nanofluidics
We have fabricated silicon nanoscale pores and examined their electrokinetic transport behaviors.13, 26 We have shown that nanoscale pores in series with microchannels can exhibit asymmetric concentration polarization that can be leveraged for DNA sequencing, biomolecule separation, and desalination, for example. We have also functionalized the pore with antibodies in the goal of developing nanofluidic …
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Three-Dimensional Velocimetry
A diagnostic platform for measuring three dimensional velocity fields in whole microscopic volumes is presented. The imaging system is based on Nipkow spinning disk confocal microscopy. The confocal system provides optical sectioning using pinhole spatial filtering which rejects light originating from out of focus objects. Volumetric scanning is obtained by rapid translation of the high …
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Nano-bio Interface
This work is to understand the mechanisms and conditions under which engineered nanomaterials can cause disruption of, and passive transport through, simplified model of artificial cell membranes, namely lipid bilayers. We believe that under some conditions engineered, ENMs, can passively translocate across, and cause nanoscale defects in lipid membranes, which plays a role in cellular …
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High Speed Velocimetry of Unsteady Microscale Flows
In µPIV, ensemble averaging is often used to reduce errors due to noise from out-of-focus particles. However, unsteady non-periodic flows require two-frame correlations which can be difficult to achieve with acceptable accuracy using µPIV. The confocal microscope uses pinhole spatial filtering to remove much of the light originating from outside the focal plane, reducing light …
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Catalytic Nanomotors
Bi-metallic rod-shaped nanoparticles, 2 microns in length and 200 nanometers in diameter, are known for their ability to “swim,” or move autonomously, in aqueous hydrogen peroxide solutions. These so-called “nanomotors” were first introduced in a 2004 paper by Sen and Mallouk’s groups at Pennsylvania State University. Since then, several different mechanisms (interfacial tension gradient, viscous …
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Microfluidic Fuel Cells
Microfluidic fuel cell uses controlled flow patterns to separate liquid fuel and oxidizer instead of a physical membrane. In our group we are developing unique cell architectures that provide increased power density, fuel flexibility, and an increase in fuel utilization.
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