Understanding fluid mechanics within electrokinetically pumped microfluidic chips

A model describing electroosmotic fluid pumping within glass microchannels is presented. Results of calculations of fluid flow within a manifold of intersecting channels are compared with experimental observations. The effect of channel length on leakage effects at electrokinetically controlled, valveless intersections is examined. The influence of changing the surface charge potential in one channel but not another is shown to be critical to flow behavior, both theoretically and experimentally.