Microfluidic studies of interfacial transport

The transport phenomena at interfaces often determine the bulk transport rates in both micro- and macro- scale. Therefore, a better understanding of the fluid motion and the associated transport processes at these interfaces is essential. The integration of appreciable surfaces with precisely defined interfaces and with various physicochemical properties into micro-scale devices can be harnessed for direct investigations of transport processes. In this context, optimal and controllable interfaces at the boundaries of microchannels are established and the transport processes are studied at these tailored interfaces with a focus on (i) hydrodynamic slippage and coupled mass transfer at gas-liquid interfaces and (ii) charge and momentum transfer at ion selective interfaces.