Adaptive Nanowires for Switchable Microchip Devices.

This paper demonstrates for the first time the use of adaptive functional nickel nanowires for switching on-demand operation of microfluidic devices. Controlled reversible magnetic positioning and orientation of these nanowires at the microchannel outlet offers modulation of the detection and separation processes, respectively. The former facilitates switching between active and passive detection states to allow the microchip to be periodically activated to perform a measurement and reset it to the passive (‘off’) state between measurements. Fine magnetic tuning of the separation process (postchannel broadening of the analyte zone) is achieved by reversibly modulating the nanowire orientation (i.e., detector alignment) at the channel outlet. The concept can be extended to other microchip functions and stimuli-responsive materials and holds great promise for regulating the operation of microfluidic devices in reaction to specific needs or unforeseen scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]