Enhancement of charged macromolecule capture by nanopores in a salt gradient.
Nanopores spanning synthetic membranes have been used as key components in proof-of-principle nanofluidic applications, particularly those involving manipulation of biomolecules or sequencing of DNA. The only practical way of manipulating charged macromolecules near nanopores is through a voltage difference applied across the nanopore-spanning membrane. However, recent experiments have shown that salt concentration gradients applied across nanopores can also dramatically enhance charged particle capture from a low concentration reservoir of charged molecules at one end of the nanopore. This puzzling effect has hitherto eluded a physically consistent theoretical explanation. Here, we propose an electrokinetic mechanism of this enhanced capture that relies on the electrostatic potential near the pore mouth. For long pores with diameter much greater than the local screening length, we obtain accurate analytic expressions showing how salt gradients control the local conductivity which can lead to increased local electrostatic potentials and charged analyte capture rates. We also find that the attractive electrostatic potential may be balanced by an outward, repulsive electro-osmotic flow that can in certain cases conspire with the salt gradient to further enhance the analyte capture rate.
Chou
Tom
T
Department of Biomathematics, UCLA Los Angeles, California 90095-1766, USA. tomchou@ucla.edu
D004563:Electrochemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D044085:Microfluidics; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology; D010316:Particle Size; D012492:Salts / Q000737:chemistry*; D055672:Static Electricity; D013499:Surface Properties
D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D012492:Salts