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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Merging Ion Concentration Polarization between Juxtaposed Ion Exchange Membranes to Block the Propagation of the Polarization Zone
Published on: February 23, 2017
Theory of ion transport in electrochemically switchable nanoporous metallized membranes
Christian Amatore1, Alexander I Oleinick, Irina Svir
1Département de Chimie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, UMR CNRS-ENS-UPMC 8640 PASTEUR, 24 rue Lhomond, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France. christian.amatore@ens.fr
Abstract:
A physicomathematical model of ion transport through a synthetic electrochemically switchable membrane with nanometric metal-plated pores is presented. Due to the extremely small size of the cylindrical pores, electrical double layers formed inside overlap, and thus, strong electrostatic fields whose intensities vary across the cross-sections of the nanopores are created. Based on the proposed model a relationship between the relative electrostatic energies experienced by ions in the nanopores and the potential applied to the membrane is established. This allows the prediction of transference numbers and explains quantitatively the ion-transport switching capability of such synthetic membranes. The predictions of this model agree satisfactorily with previous experimental data obtained for this type of devices by Martin and co-workers.
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