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Updated: Jul 11, 2025

Membrane Transport Processes Analyzed by a Highly Parallel Nanopore Chip System at Single Protein Resolution
Published on: August 16, 2016
Surface diffusion enhanced ion transport through two-dimensional nanochannels
Yu Jiang1, Rong Hu1, Chongyang Yang1
1State 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, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Fast ion permeation in nanofluidic channels has been intensively investigated in the past few decades because of their potential uses in separation technologies and osmotic energy harvesting. Mechanisms governing ion transport at this ultimately small spatial regime remain to be understood, which can only be achieved in nanochannels that are controllably fabricated. Here, we report the fabrication of two-dimensional nanochannels with their top and bottom walls consisting of atomically flat graphite and mica crystals, respectively. The distinct wall structures and properties enable us to investigate interactions between ions and interior surfaces. We find an enhanced ion transport within the channels that is orders of magnitude faster than that in the bulk solutions. The result is attributed to the highly dense packing of adsorbed cations at mica surfaces, where they diffuse in-plane. Our work provides insights into surface effects on ion transport at the nanoscale.
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