Swiss researchers are developing a "nano" valve, could be used to study the nature of the nanoparticles, helping to develop new materials and drugs.
The technology by the Swiss federal institute of technology in Zurich university research team development said they publish news bulletins, the valves are suitable for a variety of particles, such as metal or semiconductor nanoparticles, virus particles, antibody molecules that can manipulate particles, only 10 nanometers in diameter in material, chemical, and biological medicine, and other fields have nowhere to go.
At the nanoscale, the properties of matter and macro condition is different, its movement can't use the mechanical control valve. Researchers on silicon etch super narrow channels, from 300 to 300 nm in diameter will need to install the valve parts, install the electrode on the outside of the "bottleneck”. Applying specific electric field, which can produces force to channel of the particles, decided whether it can through the bottleneck.
Experiments have shown that nanoparticles through the bottleneck, at ordinary times of pure water valve closed; applying an electric field can make the particles through the bottleneck, equivalent to open the valve. For the nanoparticles in the salt solution, things will, in turn, the valve is opened at ordinary times, after power up close.
The researchers used with trigeminal pipeline valve, make the mix of the two kinds of nanoparticles to different export, realize the separation. This means that, to design the corresponding pipeline system and the electric field, can filter, filter, specific nature of the particles. They also managed to individual particles lead to the area between the two valves, imprisoned in a small space, it can reduce the interference of the particle has no regulation motion, to facilitate observation of the particle properties. |
Ball Valve 