Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2025

Membrane Transport Processes Analyzed by a Highly Parallel Nanopore Chip System at Single Protein Resolution
Published on: August 16, 2016
Heterointerface with Continuous Channels Enables Fast Na+ Transport in Layered Na2Ti3O7
Jun Dong1, Zilun Chen1, Jiajing Wang2
1Hubei Key Laboratory for High-efficiency Utilization of Solar Energy and Operation Control of Energy Storage System, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, P. R. China.
Abstract:
High-power sodium-ion batteries are essential for grid energy storage; however, they are generally limited by Na+ transport. Herein, we tailor a highly matched heterostructure (MgTi3O7@Na2Ti3O7) via a facile in situ synthesis method. The similar crystal structures of Na2Ti3O7 and MgTi3O7 creat continuous Na+ diffusion channels at the heterointerface, and the interactions at the interface creat a built-in interface electric field with a direction from MgTi3O7 to Na2Ti3O7. As a result, the particular heterointerface enable rapid Na+ diffusion in the MgTi3O7@Na2Ti3O7 electrode. The heterostructure engineering regulate the electrochemical reaction mechanism, leading to the solid solution reaction in the MgTi3O7@Na2Ti3O7 electrode, facilitating rapid Na+ transport. Therefore, the MgTi3O7@Na2Ti3O7 electrode exhibits an excellent rate capability (123 mAh/g at 20 C) and cycling performance. This work highlights the importance of a heterointerface with continuous channels in overcoming Na+ transport limitations in electrodes and could serves as a guide for designing a heterointerface for high-power sodium-ion batteries.
Related Concept Videos
Voltage-gated Ion Channels
Generally, all voltage-gated ion channels have a 'voltage-sensing domain' that spans the lipid bilayer. The charged residues in the sensor move in response to the membrane potential changes that open the channel allowing ions movement. There are several...
Non-gated Ion Channels
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism....
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential....
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism
Ion Channels
Ion channels are specialized integral membrane proteins on the plasma membrane that allow...
Primary Active Transport

