Numerical analysis of nanoparticle behavior in a microfluidic channel under dielectrophoresis

This article analyzes the behavior of a nanoparticle suspension in a dense and viscous fluid under dielectrophoresis (DEP), a phenomenon which induces spatial movement, depending on the dielectric properties of the particles and the surrounding medium. The dielectrophoretic forces and the nanoparticle concentration profile in a DEP-based separation micro system, consisting of a microchannel, were numerically investigated using a finite element code. In particular, the trajectories described by the particle movement for a planar electrode array configuration were simulated, and the vertical variation of the dielectrophoretic force, as a function of the rectangular electrodes’ height, was analyzed. This article shows how, by carefully selecting the design parameters of several microchannel devices, one can extend the applications of DEP phenomena to the nanoscale.