| Abstract: | Disclosed herein are methods and devices for dielectrokinetic
chromatography. As disclosed, the devices comprise microchannels having
at least one perturber which produces a non-uniformity in a field
spanning the width of the microchannel. The interaction of the field
non-uniformity with a perturber produces a secondary flow which competes
with a primary flow. By decreasing the size of the perturber the
secondary flow becomes significant for particles/analytes in the
nanometer-size range. Depending on the nature of a particle/analyte
present in the fluid and its interaction with the primary flow and the
secondary flow, the analyte may be retained or redirected. The
composition of the primary flow can be varied to affect the magnitude of
primary and/or secondary flows on the particles/analytes and thereby
separate and concentrate it from other particles/analytes. |