viscosity and surface energy, were developed, which have a significant advantage over the traditional capillary pump (of which the flow behaviour is Washburn behaviour, namely the flow rate is not constant) because their performance does not depend on the sample viscosity. Chemically powered pumps Chemically powered non-mechanical pumps have been fabricated by affixing nanomotors to surfaces, driving fluid flow through chemical reactions. A wide variety of pumping systems exist including biological enzyme based pumps, organic photocatalyst pumps, and metal catalyst pumps. These pumps generate flow through a number of different mechanisms including self-diffusiophoresis, electrophoresis, bubble propulsion and the generation of density gradients. Moreover, these chemically powered micropumps can be used as sensors for the detection of toxic agents. Light-powered pumps Another class of non-mechanical pumping is light-powered pumping. Certain nanoparticles are able to convert light from a UV source to heat which generates convective pumping. These kinds of pumps are possible with titanium dioxide nanoparticles and the speed of pumping can be controlled by both the intensity of the light source and the concentration of particles. Applications Micropumps have potential industrial applications, such as delivery of small amounts of glue during manufacturing processes, and biomedical applications, including portable or implanted drug delivery devices. Bio-inspired applications include a flexible electromagnetic micropump using magnetorheological elastomer to replace lymphatic vessels. Chemically powered micropumps also demonstrate potential for applications in chemical sensing in terms of detecting chemical warfare agents and environmental hazards, such as mercury and cyanide. Considering contemporary state of air pollution one of the most promising applications for micropump lies in enhancement of gas and particulate matter sensors for monitoring personal air quality. Thanks to MEMS fabrication technology, gas sensors based on MOS, NDIR, electrochemical principles could be miniaturized to fit portable devices as well as smartphones and wearables. Application of the Fraunhofer EMFT piezoelectric micropump reduces reaction time of the sensor up to 2 seconds through fast sampling of the ambient air. This is explained by the fast convection that takes place when micropump drives the air towards the sensor, while in absence of the micropump due to slow diffusion sensor response is delayed for several minutes. The current alternative to the micropump – the fan – has numerous drawbacks. Unable to achieve substantial negative pressure fan cannot overcome pressure drop at the filter diaphragm. Further, the gas molecules and particles can easily re-adhere to the sensor surface and its housing,