CAREER: Alternating Current Electrophoresis in Spatially Non-Uniform Electric Fields

职业：空间不均匀电场中的交流电泳

• 批准号: 2340925
• 负责人: Ran An
• 金额: $ 51.55万
• 依托单位: University of Houston
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-07-01 至 2029-06-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2340925&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Alternating; Current; Electrophoresis; Spatially

Electrolytes are charged ions and molecules such as sodium, lithium, and potassium hydroxide that conduct electricity. Applying an alternating current (AC) electric field to electrolytes in a solution causes them to migrate because of their charge properties. This phenomenon is used in many important applications, including supercapacitors, high-rate batteries, and cellular and biomolecular manipulation like cell sorting. AC electric fields can be regular waves of alternating voltage (spatially uniform) or less predictable, irregular waves (spatially non-uniform). Scientists have assumed that applying AC voltages to an electrolyte solution encourages the electrolytes to migrate in a way that does not affect the overall bulk solution properties. However, recent research studies revealed that electrolyte bulk solution properties change when a spatially non-uniform AC electric field is applied. Effects such as flow reversal, pH shifts, solution osmotic pressure change, and the generation of ion concentration gradients were observed. This project’s objective is to understand how electrolytes and other charged particles respond to spatially non-uniform AC electric fields in bulk solutions over extended periods. This fundamental knowledge can be applied to develop novel technologies for molecular biosensing, water desalination, and high-throughput drug screening assays. The project will also support STEM outreach and educational activities. It aims to develop industrially relevant skillsets for graduate and undergraduate students through interactions with industrial leaders and industry-informed student projects. The investigator also aims to cultivate interest in STEM education and technology-driven solutions to enhance healthcare and societal well-being among high school students from underserved communities.This project will test the hypothesis that the biased AC electromigration under spatially non-uniform AC electric fields facilitates the directed enrichment and generation of concentration gradients of biochemically relevant charged species in bulk aqueous phase and biofluids. The specific research objectives are to (A) engineer a new system for isolating confounding variables from biased AC electromigration, (B) interrogate the influence of spatially non-uniform AC electric field properties on biased AC electromigration behaviors of designated charged species, and (C) elucidate the influence of charged species’ intrinsic properties on their biased AC electromigration behavior under designated spatially non-uniform AC electric fields. This project will provide a fundamental understanding of the behaviors of charged species under spatially non-uniform AC electric fields in the bulk solution beyond the electric double layer and at longer times than previously studied (60 seconds). This fundamental understanding of biased AC electromigration is broadly relevant to many scientific communities; it can be applied to develop technologies that (1) selectively enrich or deplete biomolecules, which will improve the sensitivity and accuracy of biosensing by allowing the detection of concentrations of target molecules that are otherwise below detection limits and (2) generate spatially and temporally controllable and quantifiable two- and three-dimensional gradients.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

电解质是带电的离子和分子，例如导电的钠，锂和氢氧化钾。将替代电流（AC）电场应用于溶液中的电解质会导致它们由于电荷特性而迁移。这种现象用于许多重要的应用，包括超级电容器，高速电池，以及细胞和二分子的操纵（例如细胞分类）。交流电场可以是替代电压（空间均匀）的常规波，也可以是不可预测的不规则波（在空间不均匀）的情况下。科学家已经假设，将AC电压应用于电解质溶液会鼓励电解质以不影响整体散装溶液特性的方式迁移。然而，最近的研究表明，当应用空间不均匀的交流电场时，电解质大块溶液的特性会发生变化。观察到诸如流动逆转，pH值，溶液渗透压变化和离子浓度梯度的产生之类的效果。该项目的目标是了解较长时期内的电解质和其他带电颗粒如何在散装溶液中对空间不均匀的AC电场做出反应。这种基本知识可以应用于开发用于分子生物传感，水的脱盐和高通量药物筛查测定法的新技术。该项目还将支持STEM外展和教育活动。它旨在通过与工业领导者和知名的学生项目进行互动，为研究生和本科生开发与工业相关的技能。该研究者还旨在培养对STEM教育和技术驱动的解决方案的兴趣，以增强来自服务不足社区的高中生的医疗保健和社会福祉。该项目将检验以下假设：在空间非均匀的AC电场下，有偏见的AC电气移民支持了BioChemected exepers exem and themected ceneper and Bulked and bulked and bulked and and andected and and and and to and to and的非均匀AC电场。 The specific research objectives are to (A) engineer a new system for isolating confounding variables from biased AC electromigration, (B) interrogate the influence of spatially non-uniform AC electric field properties on biased AC electromigration behaviors of designated charged species, and (C) elucidate the influence of charged species’ intrinsic properties on their biased AC electromigration behavior under designated spatially non-uniform AC electric字段。该项目将在散装溶液中的空间不均匀的AC电场下，在电动双层层以外的散装溶液中，比以前研究的时间更长（60秒），对带电物种的行为提供了基本的理解。对有偏见的AC电气移民的这种基本理解与许多科学社区广泛相关。它可以应用于开发（1）选择性地丰富或复制生物分子的技术，这将通过允许检测目标分子的浓度来提高生物传感的敏感性和准确性，而目标分子的浓度否则低于检测限制，并且（2）在空间和暂时控制和Quiltion state stality evallore reparties and thersed and ththes and ththe sepress and evers and evers evers evers evers reforce sef sefs ys ththe sef sefs ysf sefs ysf sefs ysf sefs ysf sefs ysf sefs ysf sefs ysf sefs ysf sf。通过使用基金会的知识分子和更广泛影响的评论标准来通过评估来支持。