Light-Powered Fluid Micropumps for Assembly and Sensing
Open Access
- Author:
- Tansi, Benjamin
- Graduate Program:
- Chemistry
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- April 21, 2020
- Committee Members:
- Ayusman Sen, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Ayusman Sen, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Thomas E Mallouk, Committee Member
Christine Dolan Keating, Committee Member
Darrell Velegol, Outside Member
Philip C Bevilacqua, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- Nanoscience
Active Matter
Colloids
Photochemistry
Sensing
Self-Assembly - Abstract:
- The field of active matter has received considerable attention since it began in 2004. Although the bulk of this research has focused on potential drug-delivery systems, this technology may reach a much wider range of applications. Under the conditions that motion is controlled and directed, any colloid could offer new and deeper functionalities. For example, consider a paint that self-deposits or aggregates controllably. Perhaps imagine a plasmonic nanoparticle that will seek out its neighbors as a step to assemble solar cells. Alternatively, carefully controlled motion can serve in sensing applications so long as we know the conditions upon which its rate or direction depends. If a micropump predictably responds to the concentration of certain analytes, you will be able to determine the nature or concentration of the species present. Given this simple principle, it pays to build a catalog of analytes and methods. That is, if you want to test the concentration of different compounds, you will need to develop different pumps. The objective of this present undertaking is to first prove that plasmonic nanoparticles can generate convective fluid pumping to perform tasks such as colloidal crystal assembly. This is followed by methods to separate particles investigation of particle size and. After considering ways to affect the pumping rates, we introduce a strategy to control direction using specific photo-reactions.