Over the last ten years or so, nanofluidics has taken an enormous leap forward. It is now possible to fabricate and study nano-channels as small as a few nanometers, or even a few angstroms. Advances in measurement techniques now make it possible to explore the thermodynamic properties of ultra-confined fluids, and quantify their transport properties down to the smallest scales. These experiments have brought to light a veritable cabinet of emerging properties : new phases of water, crystallization at room temperature, dielectric anomalies, isotopic effects, ultra-rapid flow, etc. In this first lecture, we'll take a look at some of the important approaches and results that have emerged recently.
This will be an opportunity to introduce the fundamental concepts needed to understand nanofluidic transport : from the limits of validity of continuous concepts, in terms of molecular effects or fluctuations, to the different interaction mechanisms - notably electrostatic or dielectric - and the associated scales, via hydrodynamic friction effects.
