Browsing by Subject "static electricity"

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    Ionic current inversion in pressure-driven polymer translocation through nanopores
    (American Physical Society, 2015) Buyukdagli, S.; Blossey, R.; Ala-Nissila, T.
    We predict streaming current inversion with multivalent counterions in hydrodynamically driven polymer translocation events from a correlation-corrected charge transport theory including charge fluctuations around mean-field electrostatics. In the presence of multivalent counterions, electrostatic many-body effects result in the reversal of the DNA charge. The attraction of anions to the charge-inverted DNA molecule reverses the sign of the ionic current through the pore. Our theory allows for a comprehensive understanding of the complex features of the resulting streaming currents. The underlying mechanism is an efficient way to detect DNA charge reversal in pressure-driven translocation experiments with multivalent cations. © 2015 American Physical Society.
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    Neutral particle mass spectrometry with nanomechanical systems
    (Nature Publishing Group, 2015) Sage, E.; Brenac, A.; Alava, T.; Morel, R.; Dupré, C.; Hanay, M.S.; Roukes, M.L.; Duraffourg L.; Masselon, C.; Hentz, S.
    Current approaches to mass spectrometry (MS) require ionization of the analytes of interest. For high-mass species, the resulting charge state distribution can be complex and difficult to interpret correctly. Here, using a setup comprising both conventional time-of-flight MS (TOF-MS) and nano-electromechanical systems-based MS (NEMS-MS) in situ, we show directly that NEMS-MS analysis is insensitive to charge state: the spectrum consists of a single peak whatever the speciesa' charge state, making it significantly clearer than existing MS analysis. In subsequent tests, all the charged particles are electrostatically removed from the beam, and unlike TOF-MS, NEMS-MS can still measure masses. This demonstrates the possibility to measure mass spectra for neutral particles. Thus, it is possible to envisage MS-based studies of analytes that are incompatible with current ionization techniques and the way is now open for the development of cutting-edge system architectures with unique analytical capability. © 2015 Macmillan Publishers Limited.