Microchannel plate electro-osmotic pump

Microchannel plate (MCP), a porous glass membrane commonly used as an electron multiplier in particle detectors, has been experimentally investigated here for electro-osmotic pumping characteristics. MCP consists of millions of high-aspect ratio precision identical glass microcapillary tubes fused together. Uniform and straight microchannels in a relatively thick membrane can achieve a maximum flow rate per unit area and voltage ~0.2 mL min−1 cm−2 V−1 and a maximum pressure per unit voltage ~80 Pa V−1. MCP also shows a unique characteristic of directional preference in pumping with net flow consistently induced toward the nearest electrode regardless of polarity of the voltage potential applied.