Gated ion transport through dense carbon nanotube membranes

Gated ion diffusion is found widely in hydrophobic biological nanopores, upon changes in ligand binding, temperature, transmembrane voltage, and mechanical stress. Because water is the main media for ion diffusion in these hydrophobic biological pores, ion diffusion behavior through these nanochannels is expected to be influenced significantly when water wettability in hydrophobic biological nanopores is sensitive and changes upon small external changes. Here, we report for the first time that ion diffusion through highly hydrophobic nanopores (approximately 3 nm) showed a gated behavior due to change of water wettability on hydrophobic surface upon small temperature change or ultrasound. Dense carbon nanotube (CNT) membranes with both 3-nm CNTs and 3-nm interstitial pores were prepared by a solvent evaporation process and used as a model system to investigate ion diffusion behavior. Ion diffusion through these membranes exhibited a gated behavior. The ion flux was turned on and off, apparently because the water wettability of CNTs changed. At 298 K, ion diffusion through dense CNT membranes stopped after a few hours, but it dramatically increased when the temperature was increased 20 K or the membrane was subjected to ultrasound. Likewise, water adsorption on dense CNT membranes increased dramatically at a water activity of 0.53 when the temperature increased from 293 to 306 K, indicating capillary condensation. Water adsorption isotherms of dense CNT membranes suggest that the adsorbed water forms a discontinuous phase at 293 K, but it probably forms a continuous layer, probably in the interstitial CNT regions, at higher temperatures. When the ion diffusion channel was opened by a temperature increase or ultrasound, ions diffused through the CNT membranes at a rate similar to bulk diffusion in water. This finding may have implications for using CNT membrane for desalination and water treatment.