ABSTRACT
In the first part of this chapter, we briefly introduce the origin, development, and applications of microfluidics and the evolution from microfluidics to nanofluidics. Numerous applications of micro-/nanofluidics are related to the particle transport confined in micro-/nanoscale channels. Electrokinetics has been one of the most promising tools to manipulate particles in micro-/nanofluidics. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the electrokinetic particle transport in micro-/ nanoscale channels is crucial to the development of micro-/nanofluidic devices. The second part of this chapter briefly summarizes the basics of electrokinetics under direct current (DC) electric fields, including electrical double layer (EDL), electroosmosis, electrophoresis, dielectrophoresis, and induced-charge electrokinetics (ICEK). Finally, the organization of this text is elaborated.
