Micro and Nano Fluidics

Catalog description

The course focuses on topics relevant for micro-fluidics, lab on chip technology, point of care diagnostics, nano-technology, biosensing, and interfacial phenomena. Although we will discuss briefly the fabrication of micro and nano fluidic devices, the course will mostly focus on physical phenomena from the continuum point of view. The mathematical complexity will be kept to a minimum. The course will be reasonably self-contained, and any necessary background material will be provided, consistent with the students' background and level of preparation. Specifically, we will examine fluid and nanoparticle transport under the action of pressure, electric, magnetic, and capillary forces; the structure and role of superhydrophobic surfaces; how the solid/liquid interface acquires electric charge; ion transport in electrolytes (Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations); colloid stability; electroosmosis, electrophoresis, and particle polarization; electrowetting and digital microfluidics; particle and cell sorting; immunoassays; and enzymatic amplification of nucleic acids.