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Inducing Electric Current in Graphene Using Ionic Flow.
Fanfan Chen1, Yunhong Zhao1, Anshul Saxena2
1Laboratory of Experimental Physical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
Nano Letters
|May 8, 2023
Summary
We discovered a new nanofluidic Coulomb drag effect where ion flow in liquids induces an opposite electric current in graphene. This ion-electron coupling opens new avenues for nanofluidics and transport control.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Nanofluidics
- Surface science
Background:
- Classical nanofluidics models ion and fluid transport at interfaces but often neglect solid's electronic properties.
- Coupling ion and electron dynamics is crucial for harnessing nanofluidic transport interactions with solid-state electronics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore dynamic ion-electron interactions at the liquid-graphene interface.
- To investigate a nanofluidic analogy of Coulomb drag for coupled transport phenomena.
Main Methods:
- Experimental observation of induced electric current in graphene due to ionic flow.
- Ab initio calculations to elucidate the underlying physical mechanism.
- Utilizing a liquid-graphene interface for nanofluidic studies.
Main Results:
- An electric current was induced in graphene solely by ionic flow, without direct graphene bias.
- The induced electron current in graphene flowed in the opposite direction to the ionic current.
- The phenomenon was identified as a nanofluidic Coulomb drag mechanism driven by confined ion-electron interactions.
Conclusions:
- Demonstrated a novel nanofluidic Coulomb drag effect at the liquid-graphene interface.
- Established a mechanism for coupling ion and electron transport through confined interactions.
- Opened new possibilities for nanofluidics and advanced transport control via ion-electron coupling.
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