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Zhou H, Tang T, Hu R, Jiang Y, Yuan G, Wang H, Wang C, Hu S. Ionic Current Saturation Enabled by Cation Gating Effect in Metal-Organic-Framework Membranes. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:6296-6301. [PMID: 38747343 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Ion transport through nanoporous two-dimensional (2D) membranes is predicted to be tunable by controlling the charging status of the membranes' planar surfaces, the behavior of which though remains to be assessed experimentally. Here we investigate ion transport through intrinsically porous membranes made of 2D metal-organic-framework layers. In the presence of certain cations, we observe a linear-to-nonlinear transition of the ionic current in response to the applied electric field, the behavior of which is analogous to the cation gating effect in the biological ion channels. Specifically, the ionic currents saturate at transmembrane voltages exceeding a few hundreds of millivolts, depending on the concentration of the gating cations. This is attributed to the binding of cations at the membranes' surfaces, tuning the charging states there and affecting the entry/exit process of translocating ions. Our work also provides 2D membranes as candidates for building nanofluidic devices with tunable transport properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Rong Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
- Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Sheng Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
- Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
- Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
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2
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Liang X, Zhou Y, Zhu W, Xu WW, Francisco JS, Zeng XC, Zhao W. Formation of compounds with diverse polyelectrolyte morphologies and nonlinear ion conductance in a two-dimensional nanofluidic channel. Chem Sci 2024; 15:8170-8180. [PMID: 38817585 PMCID: PMC11134406 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc01071j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Aqueous electrolytes subjected to angstrom-scale confinement have recently attracted increasing interest because of their distinctive structural and transport properties, as well as their promising applicability in bioinspired nanofluidic iontronics and ion batteries. Here, we performed microsecond-scale molecular dynamics simulations, which provided evidence of nonlinear ionic conductance under an external lateral electric field due to the self-assembly of cations and anions with diverse polyelectrolyte morphologies (e.g., extremely large ion clusters) in aqueous solutions within angstrom-scale slits. Specifically, we found that the cations and anions of Li2SO4 and CaSO4 formed chain-like polyelectrolyte structures, whereas those of Na2SO4 and MgSO4 predominantly formed a monolayer of hydrated salt. Additionally, the cations and anions of K2SO4 assembled into a hexagonal anhydrous ionic crystal. These ion-dependent diverse polyelectrolyte morphologies stemmed from the enhanced Coulomb interactions, weakened hydration and steric constraints within the angstrom-scale slits. More importantly, once the monolayer hydrated salt or ionic crystal structure was formed, the field-induced ion current exhibited an intriguing gating effect at a low field strength. This abnormal ion transport was attributed to the concerted movement of cations and anions within the solid polyelectrolytes, leading to the suppression of ion currents. When the electric field exceeded a critical strength, however, the ion current surged rapidly due to the dissolution of many cations and anions within a few nanoseconds in the aqueous solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Liang
- Department of Physics, Ningbo University Ningbo Zhejiang 315211 China
| | - Yanan Zhou
- School of Material Science and Chemical Engineering, Institute of Mass Spectrometry, Ningbo University Ningbo 315211 China
| | - Weiduo Zhu
- Department of Physics, Hefei University of Technology Hefei Anhui 230009 China
| | - Wen Wu Xu
- Department of Physics, Ningbo University Ningbo Zhejiang 315211 China
| | - Joseph S Francisco
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19104 USA
| | - Xiao Cheng Zeng
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, City University of Hong Kong Kowloon 999077 Hong Kong China
| | - Wenhui Zhao
- Department of Physics, Ningbo University Ningbo Zhejiang 315211 China
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3
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Cao Y, Zhou W, Shen C, Qiu H, Guo W. Proton Coulomb Blockade Effect Involving Covalent Oxygen-Hydrogen Bond Switching. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2024; 132:188401. [PMID: 38759163 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.132.188401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Instead of the canonical Grotthuss mechanism, we show that a knock-on proton transport process is preferred between organic functional groups (e.g., -COOH and -OH) and adjacent water molecules in biological proton channel and synthetic nanopores through comprehensive quantum and classical molecular dynamics simulations. The knock-on process is accomplished by the switching of covalent O─H bonds of the functional group under externally applied electric fields. The proton transport through the synthetic nanopore exhibits nonlinear current-voltage characteristics, suggesting an unprecedented proton Coulomb blockade effect. These findings not only enhance the understanding of proton transport in nanoconfined systems but also pave the way for the design of a variety of proton-based nanofluidic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wanqi Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures and Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
| | - Chun Shen
- National Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures and Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
| | - Hu Qiu
- National Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures and Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
| | - Wanlin Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures and Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
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4
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Fan K, Zhou S, Xie L, Jia S, Zhao L, Liu X, Liang K, Jiang L, Kong B. Interfacial Assembly of 2D Graphene-Derived Ion Channels for Water-Based Green Energy Conversion. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2307849. [PMID: 37873917 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202307849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
The utilization of sustained and green energy is believed to alleviate increasing menace of global environmental concerns and energy dilemma. Interfacial assembly of 2D graphene-derived ion channels (2D-GDICs) with tunable ion/fluid transport behavior enables efficient harvesting of renewable green energy from ubiquitous water, especially for osmotic energy harvesting. In this review, various interfacial assembly strategies for fabricating diverse 2D-GDICs are summarized and their ion transport properties are discussed. This review analyzes how particular structure and charge density/distribution of 2D-GDIC can be modulated to minimize internal resistance of ion/fluid transport and enhance energy conversion efficiency, and highlights stimuli-responsive functions and stability of 2D-GDIC and further examines the possibility of integrating 2D-GDIC with other energy conversion systems. Notably, the presented preparation and applications of 2D-GDIC also inspire and guide other 2D materials to fabricate sophisticated ion channels for targeted applications. Finally, potential challenges in this field is analyzed and a prospect to future developments toward high-performance or large-scale real-word applications is offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Fan
- College of Electrical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, P. R. China
| | - Shan Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, P. R. China
| | - Lei Xie
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, P. R. China
| | - Shenli Jia
- College of Electrical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, P. R. China
| | - Lihua Zhao
- College of Electrical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, P. R. China
| | - Xiangyang Liu
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Material and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, P. R. China
| | - Kang Liang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Lei Jiang
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Biao Kong
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, P. R. China
- Shandong Research Institute, Fudan University, Shandong, 250103, China
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5
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Paul A, Aluru NR. Nanoscale electrohydrodynamic ion transport: Influences of channel geometry and polarization-induced surface charges. Phys Rev E 2024; 109:025105. [PMID: 38491612 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.109.025105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Electrohydrodynamic ion transport has been studied in nanotubes, nanoslits, and nanopores to mimic the advanced functionalities of biological ion channels. However, probing how the intricate interplay between the electrical and mechanical interactions affects ion conduction in asymmetric nanoconduits presents further obstacles. Here, ion transport across a conical nanopore embedded in a polarizable membrane under an electric field and pressure is analyzed by numerically solving a continuum model based on the Poisson, Nernst-Planck, and Navier-Stokes equations. We report an anomalous ionic current depletion, of up to 75%, and an unexpected rise in current rectification when pressure is exerted along the external electric field. Membrane polarization is revealed as the prerequisite to obtain this previously undetected electrohydrodynamic coupling. The electric field induces large surface charges at the pore tip due to its conical shape, creating nonuniform electrical double layers (EDL) with a massive accumulation of electrolyte ions near the orifice. Once applied, the pressure distorts the quasiequilibrium distribution of the EDL ions to influence the nanopore conductivity. Our fundamental approach to inspect the effect of pressure on the channel EDL (and thus ionic conductance) in contrast to its effect on the current arising from the hydrodynamic streaming of ions further explains the pressure-sensitive ion transport in different nanochannels and physical regimes manifested in past experiments, including the hitherto inexplicit mechanism behind the mechanically activated ion transport in carbon nanotubes. This enhances our broad understanding of nanoscale electrohydrodynamic ion transport, yielding a platform to build nanofluidic devices and ionic circuits with more robust and tunable responses to electrical and mechanical stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arghyadeep Paul
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - N R Aluru
- Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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6
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Noh Y, Aluru NR. Scaling of ionic conductance in a fluctuating single-layer nanoporous membrane. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19813. [PMID: 37957224 PMCID: PMC10643653 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46962-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-layer membranes have emerged as promising candidates for applications requiring high transport rates due to their low resistance to molecular transport. Owing to their atomically thin structure, these membranes experience significant microscopic fluctuations, emphasizing the need to explore their impact on ion transport processes. In this study, we investigate the effects of membrane fluctuations on the elementary scaling behavior of ion conductance [Formula: see text] as a function of ion concentration [Formula: see text], represented as [Formula: see text], using molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings reveal that membrane fluctuations not only alter the conductance coefficient [Formula: see text] but also the power-law exponent [Formula: see text]. We identify two distinct frequency regimes of membrane fluctuations, GHz-scale and THz-scale fluctuations, and examine their roles in conductance scaling. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the alteration of conductance scaling arises from the non-linearity between ion conductance and membrane shape. This work provides a fundamental understanding of ion transport in fluctuating membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yechan Noh
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - N R Aluru
- Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712, USA.
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7
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Zhang X, Tu B, Cao Z, Fang M, Zhang G, Yang J, Ying Y, Sun Z, Hou J, Fang Q, Tang Z, Li L. Anomalous Mechanical and Electrical Interplay in a Covalent Organic Framework Monolayer Membrane. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:17786-17794. [PMID: 37537964 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c04655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Ion transport through nanoconfinement, driven by both electrical and mechanical forces, has drawn ever-increasing attention, due to its high similarity to stress-sensitive ion channels in biological systems. Previous studies have reported only pressure-induced enhancement in ion conductance in low-permeable systems such as nanotubes, nanoslits, or single nanopores. This enhancement is generally explained by the ion accumulation caused by the capacitive effect in low-permeable systems. Here, we fabricate a highly permeable COF monolayer membrane to investigate ion transport behavior driven by both electrical and mechanical forces. Our results show an anomalous conductance reduction activated by external mechanical force, which is contrary to the capacitive effect-dominated conductance enhancement observed in low-permeable nanopores or channels. Through simulations, we uncovered a distinct electrical-mechanical interplay mechanism that depends on the relative rate between the ion diffusion from the boundary layer to the membrane surface and the ion transport through the membrane. The high pore density of the COF monolayer membrane reduces the charge accumulation caused by the capacitive effect, resulting in fewer accumulated ions near the membrane surface. Additionally, the high membrane permeability greatly accelerates the dissipation of the accumulated ions under mechanical pressure, weakening the effect of the capacitive layer on the streaming current. As a result, the ions accumulated on the electrodes, rather than in the capacitive layer, dominating the streaming current and giving rise to a distinct electrical-mechanical interplay mechanism compared to that in low-permeable nanopores or channels. Our study provides new insights into the interplay between electrical and mechanical forces in ultra-permeable systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Bin Tu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Zhouwen Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Munan Fang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Guangjie Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Jinlei Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Yue Ying
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Zhifei Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Junjun Hou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Qiaojun Fang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Zhiyong Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Lianshan Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
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8
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Noh Y, Aluru NR. Ion transport in two-dimensional flexible nanoporous membranes. NANOSCALE 2023. [PMID: 37337690 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr00875d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Ion transport is a fundamental mechanism in living systems that plays a role in cell proliferation, energy conversion, and maintaining homeostasis. This has inspired various nanofluidic applications such as electricity harvesting, molecular sensors, and molecular separation. Two dimensional (2D) nanoporous membranes are particularly promising for these applications due to their ultralow transport barriers. We investigated ion conduction across flexible 2D membranes via extensive molecular dynamics simulations. We found that the microscopic fluctuations of these membranes can significantly increase ion conductance, for example, by 320% in Cu-HAB with 0.5 M KCl. Our analysis of ion dynamics near the flexible membranes revealed that ion hydration is destabilized when the membrane fluctuated within a specific frequency range leading to improved ion conduction. Our results show that the dynamic coupling between the fluctuating membrane and ions can play a crucial role in ion conduction across 2D nanoporous membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yechan Noh
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Narayana R Aluru
- Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, Oden Institute for Computational Engineering & Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin 78712, USA.
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9
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Liu D, Xiong Z, Wang P, Liang Q, Zhu H, Liu JZ, Forsyth M, Li D. Ion-Specific Nanoconfinement Effect in Multilayered Graphene Membranes: A Combined Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Computational Study. NANO LETTERS 2023. [PMID: 37315026 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c00877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Ion adsorption within nanopores is involved in numerous applications. However, a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental relationship between in-pore ion concentration and pore size, particularly in the sub-2 nm range, is scarce. This study investigates the ion-species-dependent concentration in multilayered graphene membranes (MGMs) with tunable nanoslit sizes (0.5-1.6 nm) using nuclear magnetic resonance and computational simulations. For Na+-based electrolytes in MGMs, the concentration of anions in graphene nanoslits increases in correlation with their chaotropic properties. As the nanoslit size decreases, the concentration of chaotropic ion (BF4-) increases, whereas the concentration of kosmotropic ions (Cit3-, PO43-) and other ions (Ac-, F-) decreases or changes slightly. Notably, anions remain more concentrated than counter Na+ ions, leading to electroneutrality breakdown and unipolar anion packing in MGMs. A continuum modeling approach, integrating molecular dynamic simulation with the Poisson-Boltzmann model, elucidates these observations by considering water-mediated ion-graphene non-electrostatic interactions and charge screening from graphene walls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diyan Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Zhiyuan Xiong
- School of Light Industry and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Peiyao Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Qinghua Liang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Haijin Zhu
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Materials and Technologies for Energy Conversion, Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Guangdong 515063, P. R. China
| | - Jefferson Zhe Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Maria Forsyth
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Dan Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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10
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Chen F, Zhao Y, Saxena A, Zhao C, Niu M, Aluru NR, Feng J. Inducing Electric Current in Graphene Using Ionic Flow. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:4464-4470. [PMID: 37154839 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c00821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Classical nanofluidic frameworks account for the confined fluid and ion transport under an electrostatic field at the solid-liquid interface, but the electronic property of the solid is often overlooked. Harvesting the interaction of the nanofluidic transport with the electron transport in solid requires a route effectively coupling ion and electron dynamics. Here we report a nanofluidic analogy of Coulomb drag for exploring the dynamic ion-electron interactions at the liquid-graphene interface. An induced electric current in graphene by ionic flow with no bias directly applied to the graphene channel is observed experimentally, featuring an opposite electron current direction to the ion current. Our experiments and ab initio calculations show that the current generation stems from the confined ion-electron interactions via a nanofluidic Coulomb drag mechanism. Our findings may open up a new dimension for nanofluidics and transport control by ion-electron coupling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanfan Chen
- Laboratory of Experimental Physical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Yunhong Zhao
- Laboratory of Experimental Physical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Anshul Saxena
- Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Chunxiao Zhao
- Laboratory of Experimental Physical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Mengdi Niu
- Laboratory of Experimental Physical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Narayana R Aluru
- Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Jiandong Feng
- Laboratory of Experimental Physical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
- Research Center for Quantum Sensing, Research Institute of Intelligent Sensing, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, 311121, China
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11
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Thakur M, Cai N, Zhang M, Teng Y, Chernev A, Tripathi M, Zhao Y, Macha M, Elharouni F, Lihter M, Wen L, Kis A, Radenovic A. High durability and stability of 2D nanofluidic devices for long-term single-molecule sensing. NPJ 2D MATERIALS AND APPLICATIONS 2023; 7:11. [PMID: 38665480 PMCID: PMC11041726 DOI: 10.1038/s41699-023-00373-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Nanopores in two-dimensional (2D) membranes hold immense potential in single-molecule sensing, osmotic power generation, and information storage. Recent advances in 2D nanopores, especially on single-layer MoS2, focus on the scalable growth and manufacturing of nanopore devices. However, there still remains a bottleneck in controlling the nanopore stability in atomically thin membranes. Here, we evaluate the major factors responsible for the instability of the monolayer MoS2 nanopores. We identify chemical oxidation and delamination of monolayers from their underlying substrates as the major reasons for the instability of MoS2 nanopores. Surface modification of the substrate and reducing the oxygen from the measurement solution improves nanopore stability and dramatically increases their shelf-life. Understanding nanopore growth and stability can provide insights into controlling the pore size, shape and can enable long-term measurements with a high signal-to-noise ratio and engineering durable nanopore devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukeshchand Thakur
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nianduo Cai
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Miao Zhang
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yunfei Teng
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100190 Beijing, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China
| | - Andrey Chernev
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mukesh Tripathi
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Electronics and Structure, Institute of Electrical Engineering and Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yanfei Zhao
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Electronics and Structure, Institute of Electrical Engineering and Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michal Macha
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Farida Elharouni
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martina Lihter
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Liping Wen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100190 Beijing, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China
| | - Andras Kis
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Electronics and Structure, Institute of Electrical Engineering and Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aleksandra Radenovic
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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12
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Niu M, Chen Y, Chen F, Zhao C, Yang Y, Xu Y, Feng J. Light-Driven Ion Transport through Single-Heterojunction Nanopores. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:1010-1016. [PMID: 36693172 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c04507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Inspired by natural photosynthesis, light has become an emerging ionic behavior regulator and ion-pumping source. Nanoprocessing technology has allowed the bridge between the light-regulated nanofluids and the optoelectronic properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials, which inspires applications like energy harvesting and enhances fundamental understandings in nanofluidics. However, unlike light-induced ion pumping based on densely layered membranes with multiple nanochannels, experimental implementation on atomically thin materials featuring only a single nanochannel remains challenging. Here, we report light-induced ion pumping based on a single artificial heterojunction nanopore. Under light illumination, the induced current through a single nanopore reaches tens of picoamperes. The hole-electron separation originating from the optoelectrical property of a van der Waals PN junction is proposed to capture the light-driven ion transport. Further, different methods are adopted to modify the ion behavior and response time, presenting potential applications in fluidic photoenergy harvesting, photoelectric ion transport control, and bionic artificial neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengdi Niu
- Laboratory of Experimental Physical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuang Chen
- Laboratory of Experimental Physical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China
| | - Fanfan Chen
- Laboratory of Experimental Physical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunxiao Zhao
- Laboratory of Experimental Physical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China
| | - Yibo Yang
- Laboratory of Experimental Physical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Xu
- Laboratory of Experimental Physical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiandong Feng
- Laboratory of Experimental Physical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China
- Research Center for Quantum Sensing, Research Institute of Intelligent Sensing, Zhejiang Lab, , Hangzhou 311121, People's Republic of China
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13
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Electrolyte adsorption in graphene and hexagonal boron nitride nanochannels. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.120474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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14
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Green Y. Electrical Conductance of Charged Nanopores. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:36150-36156. [PMID: 36278037 PMCID: PMC9583083 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c02266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
A nanopore's response to an electrical potential drop is characterized by its electrical conductance, . For the last two decades, it has been thought that at low electrolyte concentrations, , the conductance is concentration-independent such that . It has been recently demonstrated that surface charge regulation changes the dependency to , whereby the slope typically takes the values α = 1/3 or 1/2. However, experiments have observed slopes of 2/3 and 1 suggesting that additional mechanisms, such as convection and slip-lengths, appear. Here, we elucidate the interplay between three mechanisms: surface charge regulation, convection, and slip lengths. We show that the inclusion of convection does not change the slope, and when the effects of hydrodynamic slip are included, the slope is doubled. We show that when all effects are accounted for, α can take any value between 0 and 1 where the exact value of the slope depends on the material properties. This result is of utmost importance in designing any electro-kinetically driven nanofluidic system characterized by its conductance.
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15
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Zhang G, Lin L, Shen W, Wang X, Wang Y, Cao L, Liu F. A New Strategy for Highly Efficient Separation between Monovalent Cations by Applying Opposite-Oriented Pressure and Electric Fields. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2203396. [PMID: 35906891 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202203396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Biological ion channels exhibit excellent ion selectivity, but it has been challenging to design their artificial counterparts, especially for highly efficient separation of similar ions. Here, a new strategy to achieve high selectivity between alkali metal ions with artificial nanostructures is reported. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and experiments are combined to study the transportation of monovalent cations through graphene oxide (GO) nanoslits by applying pressure or/and electric fields. It is found that the ionic transport selectivity under the pressure driving reverses compared with that under the electric field driving. Moreover, MD simulations show that different monovalent cations can be separated with unprecedentedly high selectivity by applying opposite-oriented pressure and electric fields. This highly efficient separation originates from two distinctive ionic transporting modes, that is, hydration shells drive ions under pressure, but drag ions under the electric field. Hence, ions with different hydration strengths can be efficiently separated by tuning the net mobility induced by the two types of driving forces when the selected ions are kept moving while the other ones are immobilized. And nanoconfinement is confirmed to enhance the separation efficacy. This discovery paves a new avenue for separating similar ions without elaborately designing biomimetic nanostructures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gehui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Lingxin Lin
- College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, China
| | - Wenhao Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xue Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yugang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Liuxuan Cao
- College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, China
| | - Feng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Key Laboratory of Hebei Province for Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, School of Health Science & Biomedical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, China
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