Award Abstract #0103562
Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Teams (NIRT): NanoTurf: Nano-engineered Low Flow Friction Surfaces

NSF Org:	CMMI Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation
Initial Amendment Date:	August 13, 2001
Latest Amendment Date:	August 13, 2001
Award Number:	0103562
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Kevin Lyons CMMI Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation ENG Directorate for Engineering
Start Date:	August 15, 2001
Expires:	July 31, 2005 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$1000000
Investigator(s):	Chang-Jin Kim cjkim@seas.ucla.edu (Principal Investigator) Robin Garrell (Co-Principal Investigator) Fred Wudl (Co-Principal Investigator) Chih-Ming Ho (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	University of California-Los Angeles 11000 Kinross Avenue LOS ANGELES, CA 90095 310/794-0102
NSF Program(s):	NANOSCALE: INTRDISCPL RESRCH T, ENGINEERING RESEARCH CENTERS, PARTICULATE &MULTIPHASE PROCES
Field Application(s):	0308000 Industrial Technology
Program Reference Code(s):	MANU, 9146, 1674, 1480, 1467, 1468, 1415
Program Element Code(s):	1674, 1480, 1415

ABSTRACT

This Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Teams (NIRT) project will address the common problem of large pressure drops in microfluidics by nano-engineering novel channel surfaces and controlling their surface properties. The consequences are expected to be both dramatic and far-reaching. The research project is to develop a nano-engineered surface to drastically reduce viscous drag. Despite the explosive growth in microfluidics, as represented by such high-profile applications as biochips and lab-on-a-chip, this fundamental problem associated with miniaturization remains unsolved: the disproportional increase in the relative pressure drop and the power consumption as devices are reduced in size. Due to the severe retardation of velocity at the surface, transport of liquids through long, nano/microscale channels encounter to high losses to be practical. Fabrication of these surfaces will be developed by integrating the rich arsenal of MEMS and Nano-technologies with the extensive knowledge of surface and biomaterial sciences, based upon the specialized expertise of the four principal investigators. Following development and characterization of the novel surfaces, an electrically re-configurable bioreactor chip will be developed as a capstone device, which further promotes synergistic integration among the team members as well as public awareness.

Fusion of the traditionally disjoint areas in this research - mechanical engineering and chemistry - start from students, who will take a set of formal courses developed and cross-offered between two schools for nanoscale science and engineering. The students continue to develop their interdisciplinary mind from monthly team meetings and weekly task meetings for research.

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