Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 29, 2025

Development of a Microfluidics-Based Approach for Investigating Microtubule Polymer Mechanics
Published on: May 30, 2025
Characterization of pressure-driven water flows in nanofluidic channels by mass flowmetry
Yutaka Kazoe1, Sho Kubori2, Kyojiro Morikawa3
1Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan. kazoe@sd.keio.ac.jp.
Abstract:
With developments in analytical devices promoted by nanofluidics, estimation of the flow rate in a nanochannel has become important to calculate volumes of samples and reagents in chemical processing. However, measurement of the flow rate in nanospaces remains challenging. In the present study, a mass flowmetry system was developed, and the flow rate of water by pressure-driven flow in a fused-silica nanochannel was successfully measured in picoliters per second. We revealed that the water flow rate is dependent on the viscosity significantly increased in a square nanochannel with 102 nm width and depth (3.6 times higher than the bulk viscosity for a representative channel size of 190 nm) and slightly increased in a plate nanochannel with micrometer-scale width and 102 nm depth (1.3 times higher for that of 234 nm), because of dominant surface effects. The developed method and results obtained will greatly contribute to nanofluidics and other related fields.
Related Concept Videos
Steady Flow of a Fluid Stream
During this process, the momentum of the fluid within the control volume remains constant over the time interval dt. By applying the...
Measurement of Fluid Pressure
A basic form of manometer is the piezometer, a vertical tube open at the top and filled with the same...
Fluid Pressure
According to Pascal's law, a fluid at rest will generate equal pressure in all directions. This pressure is measured as a force per unit area, and its magnitude depends on the fluid's specific...
Pressure of Fluids
Pressure Variation in a Fluid at Rest
When measuring pressure at two different levels within the fluid, the difference in...
Uniform Depth Channel Flow

