Nanofluidics

Context

We are interested in the transport properties in a liquid (water in general) confined to nanometric scales. We study in particular the transport of mass, ions, salts or heat within the liquid. Nanometric scales promote interactions with interfaces, and thus enable coupled transport modes, commonly referred to in the community as electrokinetic effects. The best-known example is electroosmosis, which consists in moving liquid with electric fields.

But we are currently investigating current and flows generated by concentration and thermal gradients.

Methodology

• Fabrication of fluidic films confined at the nanoscales. We developped several strategies based on nanopores drilled in membrane, solid state made nanochannels, or auto-assembled nanometric soft liquid films (such as soap films or condensed films in controlled humidity).

• Probing transport in the liquid at the nanoscale. We developped several experimental platforms to probe very small ionic flows in liquids, femtoL/s flow rates and heat transfer, by confocal fluoresence or Coulter counting.

• Modeling. We combine COMSOL simulations with analytical modeling and collaborate closely with theoreticians specialized in MD simulations in iLM.

Applications

• Nano-membrane based processes used for filtration, depollution, desalination or energy harvesting.

• Biological processes and biomolecular analysis at the molecular scale (proteinic channels, lab-on-a-chip).

Current specific collaborative projects

• ANR SoftNanoflu - See specific page for news.

• FET-OPEN Progeny

• Nectar project

09/11/2021. Li Fu's paper has been accepted in soft matter and is open-access.

Current students on nanofluidics

• Menghua Zhao is back (Post-doc on ANR soft nanoflu)

• Samuel Albert (Post-doc, co-supervised with O. Bonhomme on Progeny project)

• Aymeric Allemand (PhD student - co-supervised by L. Joly and C. Ybert)

• Changwoo Bae (PhD student)

Alumni

• Li Fu (Post-doc, now assistant professor in INSA Lyon.)

• Olivier Liot (Post-doc, now assistant professor in Toulouse)

• Baptiste Blanc (Post-doc, now post-doc in MIT)