Mesoscopic concentration fluctuations in a nanofluidic device

Marcel A.G. Zevenbergen, Bernhard L. Wolfrum, Serge G. Lemay

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

A direct consequence of downscaling fluidic devices to nanometer dimensions is that the number of molecules being detected or manipulated decreases, ultimately leading to such small numbers of analyte molecules that their discreteness and accompanying statistical fluctuations can no longer be ignored. Here we study these fluctuations both experimentally and theoretically in a nanofluidic cavity capable of detecting ~450 electrochemically active molecules. Due to Brownian motion, the average number of molecules in the device fluctuates, leading to intrinsic fluctuations in the electrochemical signal. We theoretically analyze this diffusive motion and report excellent agreement between the measured and calculated power spectrum densities without fitting parameter.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 11th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences, uTAS 2007
EditorsJean-Louis Viovy, Patrick Tabeling, Stephanie Descroix, Laurent Malaquin
PublisherThe Chemical and Biological Microsystems Society
Pages388-390
Number of pages3
ISBN (Electronic)9780979806407
Publication statusPublished - 2007
Externally publishedYes
Event11th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences, µTAS 2007 - Paris, France
Duration: 7 Oct 200711 Oct 2007
Conference number: 11

Conference

Conference11th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences, µTAS 2007
Abbreviated titleMicroTAS
Country/TerritoryFrance
CityParis
Period7/10/0711/10/07

Keywords

  • Brownian motion
  • Nanofluidics
  • Redox cycling

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