CRC: Micro Imaging for Sensory and Materials Applications

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

Daniel G. Nocera and Moungi G. Bawendi of MIT and Manoochehr M. Koochesfahani of Michigan State University are jointly supported by the Division of Chemistry, the Division of Chemical Transport Systems and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate for their interdisciplinary collaboration on new molecule-based optical diagnostic techniques to measure flow on small spatial scales. They will use newly synthesized fluorescent tracers based on caged laser dye molecules and nanocrystalline quantum dots to image flows at speeds of less than 1 mm/s. New optical techniques will be developed for the quantitative measurement of multivariable flow properties (e.g., flow velocity field, temperature, concentration) and transport in small dimensions. The diagnostics will interrogate important fundamental principles of flows in microchannels including transport to within 50-150 nm of surfaces. Understanding the flow behavior in microchannels is a key step in the development of active flow and mixing control on small spatial length scales. These principles defined from these flow studies will be incorporated in microchannels that contain Distributed Feedback (DFB) lasers as optical sensor elements. The integration of flow control and mixing with DFB architectures may lead to unprecedented analytical sensitivity on exquisitely small length scales. These principles are the underpinning of many emerging microdevice technologies, especially microsensors and microreactors. Collaborative Research in Chemistry (CRC) awards are given to interdisciplinary teams of scientists working on problems of broad chemical interest. The emphasis in these awards is on new collaborative modes of research and training.