Projects Overview

The purpose of the Research Unit is to explore transient sieves, based on a close coordination among experiments and theory/simulations in eight projects.

A1: Species transport via ping-pong droplets

The project aims at studying the transport of dissolved/suspended species through transient liquid pores. These are formed when an aqueous droplet meets an aqueous reservoir, driven by an electric field.

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A2: Light-controlled transient barriers

We design, realize, and optimize a transient sieve based on light-sensitive microswimmers in a transient light gradient. The swimmers are thermophoretic Janus particles with a gold cap that converts light energy into heat.

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A3: Highly ordered, electrically modulatable, conductive mesoporous separation layers

We investigate the possibility of experimentally improving separation performance by using conductive, switchable, structurally stable, asymmetric mesopores.

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A4: Gold nanopores as model systems

In this project, single polymer track-etched nanochannels with tailored geometry, diameter, length, and surface charge will be fabricated and applied as model systems to systematically study how transient transport processes are influenced by each of these parameters.

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B1: Design principles based on colloidal motors

While conventional motors have a typical size ranging from millimeters to meters, recent years have led to the development of colloidal motors (‘microswimmers’) that do not require moving components and that can generate directed motion on the micro- and nanoscale.

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B2: Numerical models for two-phase flows in electric fields

We are developing simulation tools for the investigation of droplets in electric fields. We thereby support the experimental subproject concerned with the ping-pong droplet configuration.

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B3: Highly accurate simulation of electrokinetic transport processes in nanopores

Project B3 is devoted the detailed modelling and highly accurate simulation of ion transport processes in transient nanopores under an applied potential. Thus, there is a direct link to the lead experiment Electrically Modulatable Nanopores.

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B4: Electrokinetic non-equilibrium effects in transient nanopores

This project has an overarching character in TRANSIEVES and is intended to provide model descriptions for the lead experiments. The purpose of these model descriptions is to help to identify and understand the fundamental physics of species transport through transient sieves, as well as to identify “sweets spots” in the parameter space.

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Projects

Team

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