title: High-velocity transport of nanoparticles through 1-D nanochannels at very large particle to channel diameter ratios.
abstract: We explore the possibility of generating high-velocity flows of nanoparticles through flat-rectangular nanochannels, which are only 50% deeper than the diameter of the particles. Using the shear-driven flow principle, 200-nm particles can, for example, be transported through a 300-nm-deep channel at velocities up to 35 mm/s (upper limit of our current setup). Working under high-pH conditions, the velocity of the carboxylated nanoparticles still respects the small-molecule velocity law, despite the high degree of confinement to which the particles are subjected. The high degree of confinement is also found to lead to a reduced band broadening. When injecting sharply delimited particle plugs, the plate heights observed for the flow of 0.2-microm particles through a 0.3-microm channel (with plate heights of the order of 1-2 microm) are, for example, approximately 1 order of magnitude smaller than for the flow of 1.0-microm particles through a 1.4-microm channel. It is also found that the band broadening is, within its statistical variation, independent of the fluid velocity over a large range of particle velocities (5-35 mm/s). The flow method distinguishes itself from pressure-driven field-flow fractionation and hydrodynamic chromatography in that the mean particle velocity is independent of the particle size over the entire range of possible particle to channel diameter ratios.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium. svkrunke@vub.ac.be
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vankrunkelsven
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Clicq
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pappaert
authors.forename: Gino V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Desmet