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Principles and applications of nanofluidic transport

Nature Nanotechnology volume 4, pages 713–720 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

The evolution from microfluidic to nanofluidic systems has been accompanied by the emergence of new fluid phenomena and the potential for new nanofluidic devices. This review provides an introduction to the theory of nanofluidic transport, focusing on the various forces that influence the movement of both solvents and solutes through nanochannels, and reviews the applications of nanofluidic devices in separation science and energy conversion.

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Figure 1: Concentration and velocity profiles in a nanochannel.
Figure 2: Interaction potential between a particle and a surface (both negatively charged).
Figure 3: Concentration polarization.
Figure 4: Diffusion-limited patterning.
Figure 5: The nanofluidic transistor.
Figure 6: A biological porin engineered into a nanofluidic diode.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Dutch Technology Foundation (STW) for financial support via a NanoNed grant (TMM 7128).

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  1. BIOS/Lab on a Chip group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.,

    W. Sparreboom, A. van den Berg & J. C. T. Eijkel

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Sparreboom, W., van den Berg, A. & Eijkel, J. Principles and applications of nanofluidic transport. Nature Nanotech 4, 713–720 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2009.332

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