We have discovered mechanisms of realizing virtually frictionless transport in microchannels and nanochannels. Contrary to common scientific intuitions, we established that complex thermo-fluidic interactions may lead to surface roughness-aided augmentation (instead of retardation) in the rate of fluidic transport in narrow channels. This fundamental discovery has opened up a huge possibility of reducing the pumping power for driving microchannel and nanochannel transport to an unprecedented extent. Applying this fundamental concept, we have further explored the realization of massive amplification in electrically driven pumping in nanochannels. We have also developed a unique combined phase field-lattice Boltzmann model to explain the underlying thermo-hydrodynamics over reduced length scales. Our work provides an effective tool for the design and synthesis of nanofluidic devices with enhanced capabilities, and possibly leading towards the practical realizability of hyper transportive electrohydrodynamic systems over nanoscopic scales.
References
- S. Chakraborty, D. Chatterjee, C. Bakli, “Nonlinear amplification in electrokinetic pumping in nanochannels in the presence of hydrophobic interactions”, Physical Review Letters, vol. 110, pp. 184503 (1-5), 2013
- S. Chakraborty, “Generalization of interfacial electrohydrodynamics in the presence of hydrophobic interactions in narrow fluidic confinements”, Physical Review Letters, vol. 100, pp. 097801(1-4), 2008
- S. Chakraborty, “Order parameter description of electro-chemical-hydrodynamic interactions in nanochannels”, Physical Review Letters vol. 101, pp. 184501(1-4), 2008
- S. Chakraborty, “Towards a generalized representation of surface effects on pressure-driven liquid flow in microchannels”, Applied Physics Letters, vol. 90, pp. 034108(1-3), 2007
- S. Chakraborty, T. Das, S. Chattoraj, “A generalized model for probing frictional characteristics of pressure-driven liquid microflows”, Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 102, pp. 104907(1-11), 2007
- S. Chakraborty, “Order parameter modeling of fluid dynamics in narrow confinements subjected to hydrophobic interactions”, Physical Review Letters, vol. 99, pp. 094504(1-4), 2007