Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026

Ohmic Contact Fabrication Using a Focused-ion Beam Technique and Electrical Characterization for Layer Semiconductor Nanostructures
Published on: December 5, 2015
High and Stable Ionic Conductivity in 2D Nanofluidic Ion Channels between Boron Nitride Layers
Si Qin1, Dan Liu1, Guang Wang1
1Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM), Deakin University , 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3216, Australia.
Abstract:
Achieving a high rate of ionic transport through porous membranes and ionic channels is important in numerous applications ranging from energy storage to water desalination, but it still remains a challenge. Herein we show that ions can quickly pass through interlayer spaces in hydrated boron nitride (BN) membranes. Measurements of surface-charge governed ionic currents between BN nanosheets in a variety of salt solutions (KCl, NaCl and CaCl2) at low salt concentrations (<10-4 M) showed several orders of magnitude higher ionic conductivity compared to that of the bulk solution. Moreover, due to the outstanding chemical and thermal stability of BN, the ionic conduits remain fully functional at temperatures up to 90 °C. The BN conduits can operate in acidic and basic environments and do not degrade after immersing in solutions with extreme pH (pH ∼ 0 or 14) for 1 week. Those excellent properties make the BN ionic conduits attractive for applications in nanofluidic devices and membrane separation.
Related Concept Videos
Molecular and Ionic Solids
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
Capacitor With A Dielectric
Dielectrics are non-conducting materials with no free or loosely bound electrons. When a dielectric is...
Electrostatic Boundary Conditions in Dielectrics
Consider a case where both the mediums across a boundary are two different dielectric materials. Recall that the electric field and electric displacement are proportional and related through the material's permittivity....
Ionic Association
Debye–Huckel–Onsager Conductance Equation
The Electrical Double Layer

