Modeling the electrophoretic transport in nanoparticle-embedded polymer gels

COLL 502

Jennifer Anne Pascal, japascal21@tntech.edu1, Holly Stretz, hstretz@tntech.edu1, Mario A. Oyanader, Oyanader@ucn.cl2, and Pedro E. Arce, Parce@tntech.edu3. (1) Department of Chemical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, 1020 Stadium Drive, Room 214, Cookeville, TN 38505, (2) Chemical Engineering, University Catolica del Norte, Avda Angamos 0610, Antofagasta, Chile, (3) Chemical Engineering, Tennessee Tech University, PH-214, Cookeville, TN 38508
Research involving polymer gels with embedded nanoparticles of varying properties is quite attractive because of the multitude of potential applications, including separation of biomacromolecules, tissue scaffold growth, as well as the analysis of the efficiency and control of drug delivery. The presence of nanoparticles within gels has the potential to modify not only the gel morphology but also the electrokinetic properties of the gels; therefore, these nanoparticles may influence both the electrophoretic transport as well as electro-osmotic flows.

This project focuses on capillary models whose characteristics are ideal domains to mimic the gel morphology. Such domains allow for the use of a nonuniform cross section and electrostatic potential along the capillary walls in order to capture the electrophoretic and electrostatic behaviors between the nanoparticles and the gel. This communication will report details and illustrations of the modeling of the electrophoretic transport within the gels.