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- Title
Controllable pH Manipulations in Micro/Nanofluidic Device Using Nanoscale Electrokinetics.
- Authors
Park, Jae Suk; Oh, Jeewhan; Kim, Sung Jae
- Abstract
Recently introduced nanoscale electrokinetic phenomenon called ion concentration polarization (ICP) has been suffered from serious pH changes to the sample fluid. A number of studies have focused on the origin of pH changes and strategies for regulating it. Instead of avoiding pH changes, in this work, we tried to demonstrate new ways to utilize this inevitable pH change. First, one can obtain a well-defined pH gradient in proton-received microchannel by applying a fixed electric current through a proton exchange membrane. Furthermore, one can tune the pH gradient on demand by adjusting the proton mass transportation (i.e., adjusting electric current). Secondly, we demonstrated that the occurrence of ICP can be examined by sensing a surrounding pH of electrolyte solution. When pH > threshold pH, patterned pH-responsive hydrogel inside a straight microchannel acted as a nanojunction to block the microchannel, while it did as a microjunction when pH < threshold pH. In case of forming a nanojunction, electrical current significantly dropped compared to the case of a microjunction. The strategies that presented in this work would be a basis for useful engineering applications such as a localized pH stimulation to biomolecules using tunable pH gradient generation and portable pH sensor with pH-sensitive hydrogel.
- Subjects
NANOFLUIDIC devices; ELECTROKINETICS; NANOELECTROMECHANICAL systems; ELECTRIC currents; ELECTROLYTE solutions; PROTONS
- Publication
Micromachines, 2020, Vol 11, Issue 4, p400
- ISSN
2072-666X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/mi11040400