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Ion Exchange

Ion Exchange

Ion exchange chromatography separates charged molecules from a solution by reversibly exchanging them with mobile, or 'active', ions associated with the oppositely charged stationary phase. This method can be used to separate ions, soften and deionize water, and purify solutions. The polymers comprising the ion-exchange column are high-molecular-weight and chemically stable polymers, crosslinked to be porous and essentially insoluble. They are also functionalized with either acidic or basic...

Potentiometry: Membrane Electrodes

Potentiometry: Membrane Electrodes

Membrane electrodes, also known as p-ion electrodes, use membranes that selectively interact with free analyte ions, generating a potential difference across the membrane. The resulting membrane potential, known as the asymmetry potential, is not zero even when analyte concentrations on both sides of the membrane are equal. The membrane's response is typically not selective to a single analyte but proportional to the concentration of all ions in the sample solution capable of interacting at the...

Aquaporins

Aquaporins

Aquaporins or AQPs are a family of integral membrane proteins whose primary function is to transport water, while some called aquaglyceroporins also transport glycerol. In addition, aquaporins have also been suspected to be involved in transporting volatile substances, such as carbon dioxide and ammonia, across membranes. Such AQPs that act as gas channels are often highly expressed in cells involved in the gaseous exchange, such as red blood cells, epithelial cells, and pulmonary capillaries.

Ion Channels

Ion Channels

The movement of ions like sodium, potassium, and calcium into and out of the cell is essential to maintain the electrochemical gradient in living cells. The ion channels—a class of membrane transport proteins—help maintain this ionic gradient for the smooth functioning of physiological activities such as maintaining cell size and volume, conducting nerve impulses, and gas and nutrient exchange.
Ion channels are specialized integral membrane proteins on the plasma membrane that allow specific...

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

Mechanically-gated ion channels are proteins found in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell membranes that open in response to mechanical stress. Tension, compression, swelling, and shear stress can alter the conformation of the protein, opening a transmembrane channel that allows the passage of ions for signal transmission. In eukaryotes, mechanically-gated channels are distributed in several regions like the neurons, lungs, skin, bladder, and heart, where they play critical roles in numerous...

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

Mechanically-gated ion channels are proteins found in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell membranes that open in response to mechanical stress. Tension, compression, swelling, and shear stress can alter the conformation of the protein, opening a transmembrane channel that allows the passage of ions for signal transmission. In eukaryotes, mechanically-gated channels are distributed in several regions like the neurons, lungs, skin, bladder, and heart, where they play critical roles in numerous...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Multifunctional, Micropipette-based Method for Incorporation And Stimulation of Bacterial Mechanosensitive Ion Channels in Droplet Interface Bilayers

Multifunctional, Micropipette-based Method for Incorporation And Stimulation of Bacterial Mechanosensitive Ion Channels in Droplet Interface Bilayers

Published on: November 19, 2015

Water-Mediated Ion Selectivity in 2D MXene Channels.

Yuan Zhang¹, Ming Chen², Teng Zhang¹

¹Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.

Journal of the American Chemical Society

|July 1, 2026

Summary

Water confined in 2D materials shows unique ion transport. Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets allow precise control over ion flow, enabling new designs for water desalination and separation technologies.

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Last Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Multifunctional, Micropipette-based Method for Incorporation And Stimulation of Bacterial Mechanosensitive Ion Channels in Droplet Interface Bilayers

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Merging Ion Concentration Polarization between Juxtaposed Ion Exchange Membranes to Block the Propagation of the Polarization Zone

Merging Ion Concentration Polarization between Juxtaposed Ion Exchange Membranes to Block the Propagation of the Polarization Zone

Published on: February 23, 2017

Area of Science:

Nanofluidics and Materials Science
Surface Chemistry and Water Behavior
Ion Transport Mechanisms

Background:

Confined water at the Ångström scale exhibits distinct properties compared to bulk water.
Understanding ion transport in nanofluidic systems is crucial for natural and engineered applications.
Existing models for aqueous ion transport are insufficient under extreme confinement.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the fundamental mechanisms of selective ion transport mediated by confined water.
To explore the use of 2D Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets as a platform for tuning ion transport.
To establish design principles for advanced nanofluidic devices.

Main Methods:

Utilized 2D Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets with controlled interlayer spacing (0.9-5.0 Å), surface terminations, and electrode potentials.
Performed experimental measurements including ion permeation, spatial secondary-ion mass spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.
Conducted molecular dynamics simulations to analyze water reorganization and ion-MXene interactions.

Main Results:

Ultranarrow confinement reorganizes water structure and imposes ion-specific dehydration penalties.
Li+ permeation in horizontally aligned Ti3C2Tx channels was significantly faster (2 orders of magnitude) than in vertically aligned membranes.
Electrochemical surface charge modulation effectively regulated ion selectivity.

Conclusions:

Confined water, surface chemistry, and energetics define a transport regime beyond classical diffusion.
Ti3C2Tx MXene platforms offer tunable ion transport for various applications.
Findings provide design principles for artificial ion channels and high-performance membranes for separation and desalination.