Microscopic Measurement of Diffusion The phenomenon of diffusion has been known for centuries. For example, the ancients who dyed fabrics certainly noticed the leading edge of their turquoise dye propagating through their cotton cloth, and biologists have long been aware of osmosis through various membranes. With our century’s advances in engineered materials, scientists and engineers are now able to design diffusive layers to provide controlled rates and selectivity of diffusion. There are a number of applications of engineered diffusion in current technology. Some are medical: drug patches allowing sustained slow release of a pharmaceutical, and membranes are used in dialysis and various laboratory separation procedures. Similar to the use of drug patches is the agricultural use of

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