Electro-hydrodynamic concentration of genomic length DNA.

We report a method of concentrating genomic length DNA within a microfluidic device, using a novel mechanism that combines polyelectrolyte migration with electrophoretic recirculation. Suitable combinations of geometry, pressure and voltage will trap long DNA molecules (>10 kbp) within a small volume (approximately 1 nL), amplifying the local concentration at rates in excess of 1000 fold per minute. The rate at which DNA accumulates is length dependent, while charged particles of similar size pass freely through the device. Experimental observations confirm that the rapid accumulation of DNA at the inlet is caused by an outward migration of the polyelectrolyte towards the capillary boundaries, followed by electrophoresis of DNA within the stagnant fluid layer next to the wall.

Transverse migration of polyelectrolytes in microfluidic channels induced by combined shear and electric fields.

If a dilute solution of a polyelectrolyte such as DNA is forced through a microcapillary by an electric field, while simultaneously driven by a pressure gradient, then the polymer will migrate in directions transverse to the field lines. Here we investigate the sharp increase in concentration in the center of the channel that arises when the flow and electric field drive the polymer in the same direction. We report the first systematic investigation of the effects of flow velocity, electric field, and ionic strength on the degree of migration. Our experiments show that migration increases with increasing shear and electric field as predicted by kinetic theory [Butler et al., Phys. Fluids, 2007, 19, 113101], but eventually saturates as suggested by computer simulations [Kekre et al., Phys. Rev. E: Stat., Nonlinear, Soft Matter Phys., 2010, 82, 050803(R)]. The addition of salt reduces the strength of the migration, consistent with a screening of long-range hydrodynamic flow fields by added salt. However, increasing the ionic strength of a Tris-acetate-EDTA buffer solution has much less effect on the degree of migration.

Triplet Energy Transport in Platinum-Acetylide Light Harvesting Arrays.

Light harvesting and triplet energy transport is investigated in chromophore-functionalized polystyrene polymers featuring light harvesting and energy acceptor chromophores (traps) at varying loading. The series of precision polymers was constructed via reversible addition-fragmentation transfer polymerization and functionalized with platinum acetylide triplet chromophores by using an azide-alkyne "click" reaction. The polymers have narrow polydispersity and degree of polymerization ∼60. The chromophores have the general structure, trans-[-R-C6H4-C≡C-Pt(PBu3)2-C≡C-Ar], where R is the attachment point to the polystyrene backbone and Ar is either -C6H4-C≡C-Ph or -pyrenyl (PE2-Pt and Py-Pt, respectively, with triplet energies of 2.35 and 1.88 eV). The polychromophores contain mainly the high-energy PE2-Pt units (light absorber and energy donor), with randomly distributed Py-Pt units (3-20% loading, energy acceptor). Photophysical methods are used to study the dynamics and efficiency of energy transport from the PE2-Pt to Py-Pt units in the polychromophores. The energy transfer efficiency is >90% for copolymers that contain 5% of the Py-Pt acceptor units. Time-resolved phosphorescence measurements combined with Monte Carlo exciton dynamics simulations suggest that the mechanism of exciton transport is exchange energy transfer hopping between PE2-Pt units.