Soft Matter-Regulated Active Nanovalves Locally Self-Assembled in Femtoliter Nanofluidic Channels.

Well-tailored thermoresponsive polymer brushes locally self-assembled in tiny nanofluidic channels enable the active regulation of femtoliter-scale fluids. Such soft-matter-regulated active nanovalves within nanofluidic channels can be extended to build well-controlled functional nanofluidic systems, allowing complex fluidic processes to be performed at the nanometer scales.