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Phys. Rev. E 61, R45–R48 (2000)

Pumping liquids using asymmetric electrode arrays

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Armand Ajdari*
Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie Théorique, Esa CNRS 7083, ESPCI, 10 rue Vauquelin, F-75231 Paris Cedex 05, France

Received 30 June 1999; revised 13 September 1999; published in the issue dated January 2000

Following a general symmetry argument, I suggest using locally asymmetric electric geometries to pump liquid in channels or drive droplets on surfaces. This strategy, which requires no global gradient in the pumping direction, should be of interest for microfluidic devices and micro-electro-mechanical systems. A practical realization consists in using polar periodic arrays of electrodes addressed by an ac voltage difference. A simple electro-osmotic model provides an estimate of the pumping velocities achievable.

© 2000 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevE.61.R45
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevE.61.R45
PACS:
85.90.+h, 82.45.+z, 83.50.Pk, 47.65.+a

*Electronic address: armand@turner.pct.espci.fr

 
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