| In the first part of this dissertation, RedOx-based magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows in three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic channels are investigated theoretically with a coupled mathematical model consisting of the Nernst-Planck equations for the concentrations of ionic species, the local electroneutrality condition of the electric potential, and the Navier-Stokes equations for the flow field. The induced currents and flow rates in 3D planar channels are compared with the experimental data obtained from the literature and those obtained from the previous two-dimensional mathematical model. Then a new approximate closed form solution for the velocity profile of steady incompressible MHD flows in a rectangular micro-channel is proposed. It can be used to optimize the dimensions of the channel and to determine the magnitudes and polarities of the prescribed currents in MHD networks so as to achieve the desired flow patterns and flow rates.;In the second part of the dissertation, the adhesive properties of thin nanoporous alumina templates are investigated. Such templates are important in fabricating an array of nanopores that will be used in the "Lab on a Chip" technology. |
