SINAPSE – Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology

Prof. Chia Hung's publication featured on cover page !

Prof. Chia Hung's publication in Royal Society of Chemistry journal, featured on Jan. 7th issue cover page. Nano-separation is essential for bio-sample characterization, chemical synthesis and diagnosis. Current nano-particle separation methods of centrifugation, column chromatography and continuous-flow techniques suffer from particle aggregation, multi-stage process, complex setups and necessary nanofabrication. These increase process costs and time, reduce efficiency and limit dynamic range. Here, we achieve an unprecedented real-time nanoparticle separation (51-1500 nm) using a large-pore (2 micron) deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) device. No external force fields or nanofabrication are required. Instead, we investigated innate long-range electrostatic influences on nanoparticles within a fluid medium at different NaCl ionic concentrations. By simply controlling buffer solutions, we achieve dynamic nanoparticle size separation on a single device with a rapid response time (<20 s) and an enlarged dynamic range (>1200%), outperforming standard benchtop centrifuge systems. This novel method and model combines device simplicity, isolation precision and dynamic flexibility, opening opportunities for high-throughput applications in nano-separation for future industrial applications.

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SINAPSE - Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology