(141f) Electrokinetically Driven DNA Dynamics in Nanochannel/Microwell Array

Recently, we developed a simple and low-cost method to produce polymeric nanochannel/microwell arrays, which can be easily connected to microscale inlets/outlets to form a nanofluidic device. Such device has potential for gene delivery and DNA separation. The nanochannel/microwell array was fabricated in ethylene glycol dimethylacrylate (EGDMA). Hydrophobicity/Hydrophilicity and zeta potential of the channel wall can be adjusted by acid treatment. The periodic length of nanochannels ranged from 1 to 10 um with diameter of 10-200 nm. The microwells with different size and shape can be used to pre-stretch large DNA molecules and to adjust the electric field strength in nanochannels. Using spin-disk dynamic confocal microscopy, we investigate the transport behavior of various sizes of DNAs under different periodic nanoscale confinements by direct flow visualization, upon applications of pre-specified electric field strengths. The experimental observations are compared with coarse-grain Brownian dynamic simulation.