Diffusion coefficients and particle transport in synthetic membrane channels

Abstract

Diffusion in constrained geometries is paramount to transport across biological membranes and in mesoporous materials. Although the transported species vary from system to system, the underlying physical mechanisms are universal. However, there is an imbalance between theory and quantitative experimental model systems. We have recently introduced a new synthetic approach to mimic molecular diffusion based on colloidal particles, digital video microscopy, particle tracking, microfluidics and holographic optical tweezers. In this paper we report useful guidelines for the fabrication, handling and characterisation of the microfluidic chips and a study of diffusion coefficients, particle attempt and translocation rates through microfluidic channels with cross sections of different dimensions.