ELECTROOSMOTIC PUMP

摘要

Electrosmotic (EO) pumps which are not subject to mechanical wear and tear and with no moving parts, and having improved flow rates and electrical properties, are described. Atomic layer deposition can be used to prepare two electrical terminal passive zeta potential modulated active EO pumps and novel three electrical terminal active zeta potential modulated EO pumps. First, second, and further thin layers of materials can be introduced into the pores with conformal coating extending from side to side. In the two electrical terminal passive EO pump, the zeta potential of the micropores or nanopores can be controlled by the selection of the material coating the inside walls of the pores. In an three electrical terminal active zeta potential modulated EO pump, the zeta potential can be further controlled by use of an electric field to modulate the zeta potential via an independent third electrode, thereby achieving active control of surface zeta potential using embedded electrode structures within the micropores or nanopores. In addition, coaxial nanostructures, methods for making coaxial nanostructures, and devices incorporating the coaxial nanostructures are disclosed.