The electroosmotic flow (EOF) velocity in single PDMS nanochannels with dimensions as small as 20 nm is investigated systematically by the current slope method in this paper. A novel method for the fabrication of single nanochannels on PDMS surfaces is developed. The effects of channel size, ionic concentration of the electrolyte solution and electric field on the EOF velocity in single nanochannels are investigated. The results show that the EOF velocity in smaller nanochannels with overlapped electric double layers (EDL) is proportional to the applied electric field but is smaller than the EOF velocity in microchannels under the same applied electric field. The EOF velocity in relatively large nanochannels without the overlap of EDLs is independent of the channel size and is the same as that in microchannels under the same applied electric field. Furthermore, in smaller nanochannels with overlapped EDLs, the EOF velocity depends on the ionic concentration and also on the channel size. The experimental results reported in this paper are valuable for the future studies of electrokinetic nanofluidics.

This paper presents a powerful tool to fabricate disposable and inexpensive PDMS nanofluidic chips with single nanochannels or nanochannel arrays.

A novel DC-dielectrophoresis (DEP) method employing a pressure-driven flow for the continuous separation of micro/nano-particles is presented in this paper. To generate the DEP force, a small voltage difference is applied to produce a non-uniformity of the electric field across a microchannel via a larger orifice of several hundred microns on one side of the channel wall and a smaller orifice of several hundred nanometers on the opposite channel wall. The particles experience a DEP force when they move with the flow through the vicinity of the small orifice, where the strongest electrical field gradient exists. Experiments were conducted to demonstrate the separation of 1 μm and 3 μm polystyrene particles by size by adjusting the applied electrical potentials. In order to separate smaller nanoparticles, the electrical conductivity of the suspending solution is adjusted so that the polystyrene nanoparticles of a given size experience positive DEP while the polystyrene nanoparticles of another size experience negative DEP. Using this method, the separation of 51 nm and 140 nm nanoparticles and the separation of 140 nm and 500 nm nanoparticles were demonstrated. In comparison with the microfluidic DC-DEP methods reported in the literature which utilize hurdles or obstacles to induce the non-uniformity of an electric field, a pair of asymmetrical orifices on the channel side walls is used in this method to generate a strong electrical field gradient and has advantages such as capability of separating nanoparticles, and locally applied lower electrical voltages to minimize the Joule heating effect.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a cutting-edge technique for highly sensitive analysis of chemicals and molecules. Traditional SERS-active nanostructures are constructed on rigid substrates where the nanogaps providing hot-spots of Raman signals are fixed, and sample loading is unsatisfactory due to the unconformable attachment of substrates on irregular sample surfaces. A flexible SERS substrate enables conformable sample loading and, thus, highly sensitive Raman detection but still with limited detection capabilities. Stretchable SERS substrates with flexible sample loading structures and controllable hot-spot size provide a new strategy for improving the sample loading efficiency and SERS detection sensitivity. This review summarizes and discusses recent development and applications of the newly conceptual stretchable SERS substrates. A roadmap of the development of SERS substrates is reviewed, and fabrication techniques of stretchable SERS substrates are summarized, followed by an exhibition of the applications of these stretchable SERS substrates. Finally, challenges and perspectives of the stretchable SERS substrates are presented. This review provides an overview of the development of SERS substrates and sheds light on the design, fabrication, and application of stretchable SERS systems.