Convective flow reversal in self-powered enzyme micropumps
Abstract
Surface-bound enzymes act as pumps in the presence of their specific substrates or promoters, thereby combining sensing and fluidic pumping into a single self-powered microdevice. Using a combination of theory and experiments, we have elucidated the mechanism of the prototypical urease-based pump. We find that even simple enzymatic reactions can drive complex, time-dependent flows whose direction and speed depend critically on the relative diffusivities and expansion coefficients of the reactants and products. Our approach allows us to accurately predict the behavior of new pump designs under different conditions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Feb 22, 2016
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.1517908113
Entities
People
- Anna C. Balazs
- Arjun Agrawal
- Ayusman Sen
- Henry Shum
- Isamar Ortiz-rivera
Organizations
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- National Science Foundation
- Pennsylvania State University
- University of Pittsburgh