Event

Thin film nanofluidic devices offer a diverse range of platform architectures and capabilities for nanoscale sample characterization and single-molecule sensing. I will discuss two standout examples:  (1) <100 nm-path length sample cells with <100 nm-thick windows that allow transmission electron microscopy to be carried out on liquid and liquid-surrounded samples, and (2) <10 nm-diameter, <100 nm-long nanochannels called nanopores that can be used for electronic (and optical) single-molecule sensing, for investigating molecular interactions through nanopore force spectroscopy, and as a zeptoliter-scale laboratory. When molecules and particles are passed through, or held in, volumes not much larger than their own volumes, interactions between the samples and the container walls become key considerations for both fabrication and experimental design. Fabrication strategies, nanochannel characterization methods, and bioanalytical and biophysical measurements will be presented in concert to demonstrate the unique capabilities—for discovery and application—offered by thin-film nanofluidic devices.