D7.2 - Nano- and microfluidic channels as electrokinetic sensors and energy harvesting devices

Electrokinetic phenomena in charged micro-and nanochannels known as streaming potential and streaming current arise when pressure-driven fluid flow transport by advection induces both a potential and a current at the channel ends.This effect can be used as a sensor/transducer principle and also to generate electricity for sensor power supply and therefore represents a mechanism for converting mechanical work into electrical power.Electrokinetic sensors and energy harvester are simple to build, and can be easily integrated into nano-and microfluidic lab-on-chip systems.