Fabrication of nanofluidic devices and the study of fluid transport through them

The ability to produce nanotubes with diameters ranging from a few to hundreds of nanometers and lengths in the tens of micro meters opens new, exciting opportunities for fundamental research on the behavior of liquids under confined conditions as well as the development of novel devices such as minimally intrusive probes and biosensors. We start by summarizing the available experimental data on the transport characteristics of liquids in micro and nano-size conduits with hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. Subsequently, we describe the combined use of controlled nanoassembly and photolithographic techniques for the construction of nanotube-based fluidic devices. Finally, we report on a few measurements of liquid transport through carbon nanotubes.