We explore the design and operation of an optical-tweezers electrophoresis apparatus to resolve polymer adsorption dynamics onto a single micro-sphere in a micro-fluidic environment. Our model system represents a broader class of micro-fluidic electrophoresis experiments for biosensing and fundamental colloid and surface science diagnostics. We track the adsorption of 100 kDa poly(ethylene oxide) homopolymer onto a colloidal silica sphere that is optically trapped in a crossed parallel-plate micro-channel. The adsorption dynamics are probed on the
1 μm particle length scale with 1 s temporal resolution. Because the particle electrophoretic mobility and channel electro-osmotic flow are exquisitely sensitive to the polymer layer hydrodynamic thickness, particle dynamics can be complicated by polymer adsorption onto the micro-channel walls. Nevertheless, using experiments and a theoretical model of electro-osmotic flow in channels with non-uniform wall ζ-potentials, we show that such influences can be mitigated by adopting a symmetrical flow configuration. The equilibrium hydrodynamic layer thickness of 100 kDa poly(ethylene oxide) on colloidal silica is 10 nm at polymer concentrations 
10 ppm (weight percent), with the dynamics reflecting polymer solution concentration, flow rate, and polydispersity.DOI
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