| Description of Program |
| Current efforts to develop technologies based on micro- and nano-fluidics promise to provide cost effective methods to deal with basic medical and chemical applications. For example the often discussed 'lab on a chip' should make it possible to carry out both basic scientific experiments and practical diagnostic tests using only small amounts of fluids that would be either costly or dangerous if done with standard amounts. A real problem that these developments will eventually encounter is that the properties of liquids that are confined to spaces that are not much larger than the molecular size are often different than those of unconfined liquids. This occurs because of the increased influence of the surface on smaller samples. This project will use both modern laboratory-based techniques such as laser feedback interferometry and confocal optical microscopy, as well as the newest and most modern synchrotron x-ray and neutron scattering facilities at our national laboratories to study the scientific and engineering properties of liquids confined to specially manufactured nano-scale structures . |
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