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Liu Z, Ma L, Zhang H, Zhuang J, Man J, Siwy ZS, Qiu Y. Dynamic Response of Ionic Current in Conical Nanopores. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:30496-30505. [PMID: 38830306 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c02078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Ionic current rectification (ICR) of charged conical nanopores has various applications in fields including nanofluidics, biosensing, and energy conversion, whose function is closely related to the dynamic response of nanopores. The occurrence of ICR originates from the ion enrichment and depletion in conical pores, whose formation is found to be affected by the scanning rate of voltages. Here, through time-dependent simulations, we investigate the variation of ion current under electric fields and the dynamic formation of ion enrichment and depletion, which can reflect the response time of conical nanopores. The response time of nanopores when ion enrichment forms, i.e., at the "on" state is significantly longer than that with the formation of ion depletion, i.e., at the "off" state. Our simulation results reveal the regulation of response time by different nanopore parameters including the surface charge density, pore length, tip, and base radius, as well as the applied conditions such as the voltage and bulk concentration. The response time of nanopores is closely related to the surface charge density, pore length, voltage, and bulk concentration. Our uncovered dynamic response mechanism of the ionic current can guide the design of nanofluidic devices with conical nanopores, including memristors, ionic switches, and rectifiers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Liu
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Shandong University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Long Ma
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Hongwen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Jiakun Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Jia Man
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Zuzanna S Siwy
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Yinghua Qiu
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Shandong University, Shenzhen 518000, China
- Suzhou Research Institute of Shandong University, Suzhou 215123, China
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2
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Dai L, Zhang WQ, Ding D, Luo C, Jiang L, Huang Y, Xia F. Outer-Surface Functionalized Solid-State Nanochannels for Enhanced Sensing Properties: Progress and Perspective. ACS NANO 2024; 18:7677-7687. [PMID: 38450654 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c12270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Solid-state nanochannel-based sensing systems have been established as vigorous tools for sensing plentiful biomarkers due to their label-free, highly sensitive, and high-throughput screening. However, research on solid-state nanochannels has predominantly centered on the functional groups modified on the inner wall, neglecting investigations into the outer surface. Actually, the outer surface, as a part of the nanochannels, also plays a key role in regulating ionic current. When the target nears the entrance of the nanochannel and prepares to pass through, it would also interact with functional groups located on the nanochannel's outer surface, leading to subsequent alterations in the ionic current. Recently, the probes on the outer surface have experimentally demonstrated their ability to independently regulate ionic current, unveiling advantages in in situ target detection, especially for targets larger than the diameter of the nanochannels that cannot pass through them. Here, we review the progress over the past decade in nanochannels featuring diverse outer-surface functionalization aimed at enhanced sensing performance, including charge modification, wettability adjustment, and probe immobilization. In addition, we present the promises and challenges posed by outer-surface functionalized nanochannels and discuss possible directions for their future deployments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China
| | - Wei-Qi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China
| | - Defang Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China
| | - Cihui Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China
| | - Lei Jiang
- China Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, P. R. China
| | - Yu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China
| | - Fan Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China
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Liu R, Liu Z, Li J, Qiu Y. Low-cost and convenient fabrication of polymer micro/nanopores with the needle punching process and their applications in nanofluidic sensing. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2024; 18:024103. [PMID: 38571910 PMCID: PMC10987195 DOI: 10.1063/5.0203512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Solid-state micro/nanopores play an important role in the sensing field because of their high stability and controllable size. Aiming at problems of complex processes and high costs in pore manufacturing, we propose a convenient and low-cost micro/nanopore fabrication technique based on the needle punching method. The thin film is pierced by controlling the feed of a microscale tungsten needle, and the size variations of the micropore are monitored by the current feedback system. Based on the positive correlation between the micropore size and the current threshold, the size-controllable preparation of micropores is achieved. The preparation of nanopores is realized by the combination of needle punching and chemical etching. First, a conical defect is prepared on the film with the tungsten needle. Then, nanopores are obtained by unilateral chemical etching of the film. Using the prepared conical micropores, resistive-pulse detection of nanoparticles is performed. Significant ionic current rectification is also obtained with our conical nanopores. It is proved that the properties of micro/nanopores prepared by our method are comparable to those prepared by the track-etching method. The simple and controllable fabrication process proposed here will advance the development of low-cost micro/nanopore sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Liu
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Zhe Liu
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Jianfeng Li
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Yinghua Qiu
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
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4
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Ma L, Liu Z, Ai B, Man J, Li J, Wu K, Qiu Y. Ion transport through short nanopores modulated by charged exterior surfaces. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:074701. [PMID: 38363999 DOI: 10.1063/5.0188959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Short nanopores find extensive applications, capitalizing on their high throughput and detection resolution. Ionic behaviors through long nanopores are mainly determined by charged inner-pore walls. When pore lengths decrease to sub-200 nm, charged exterior surfaces provide considerable modulation to ion current. We find that the charge status of inner-pore walls affects the modulation of ion current from charged exterior surfaces. For 50-nm-long nanopores with neutral inner-pore walls, the charged exterior surfaces on the voltage (surfaceV) and ground (surfaceG) sides enhance and inhibit the ion transport by forming ion enrichment and depletion zones inside nanopores, respectively. For nanopores with both charged inner-pore and exterior surfaces, continuous electric double layers enhance the ion transport through nanopores significantly. The charged surfaceV results in higher ion current by simultaneously weakening the ion depletion at pore entrances and enhancing the intra-pore ion enrichment. The charged surfaceG expedites the exit of ions from nanopores, resulting in a decrease in ion enrichment at pore exits. Through adjustment in the width of charged-ring regions near pore boundaries, the effective charged width of the charged exterior is explored at ∼20 nm. Our results may provide a theoretical guide for further optimizing the performance of nanopore-based applications, such as seawater desalination, biosensing, and osmotic energy conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Ma
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Functional Marine Sensing Materials, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Zhe Liu
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Bowen Ai
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Jia Man
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Jianyong Li
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Kechen Wu
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Functional Marine Sensing Materials, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Yinghua Qiu
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Functional Marine Sensing Materials, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Shandong University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China
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Ma L, Liu Z, Man J, Li J, Siwy ZS, Qiu Y. Modulation mechanism of ionic transport through short nanopores by charged exterior surfaces. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:18696-18706. [PMID: 37947348 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr04467j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Short nanopores have various applications in biosensing, desalination, and energy conversion. Here, the modulation of ionic transport by charged exterior surfaces is investigated through simulations with sub-200 nm long nanopores under applied voltages. Detailed analysis of the ionic current, electric field strength, and fluid flow inside and outside nanopores reveals that charged exterior surfaces can increase ionic conductance by increasing both the concentration and migration speed of charge carriers. The electric double layers near charged exterior surfaces provide an ion pool and an additional passageway for counterions, which lead to enhanced exterior surface conductance and ionic concentrations at pore entrances and inside the nanopores. We also report that charges on the membrane surfaces increase the electric field strength inside nanopores. The effective width of a ring with surface charges placed at pore entrances (Lcs) is considered as well by studying the dependence of the current on Lcs. We find a linear relationship between the effective Lcs and the surface charge density and voltage, and an inverse relationship between the geometrical pore length and salt concentration. Our results elucidate the modulation mechanism of ionic transport through short nanopores by charged exterior surfaces, which is important for the design and fabrication of porous membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Ma
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China.
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Shandong University, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Zhe Liu
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China.
| | - Jia Man
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China.
| | - Jianyong Li
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China.
| | - Zuzanna S Siwy
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Yinghua Qiu
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China.
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Shandong University, Shenzhen, 518000, China
- Suzhou Research Institute of Shandong University, Suzhou, 215123, China
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Leong IW, Tsutsui M, Yokota K, Murayama S, Taniguchi M. Regulating Nonlinear Ion Transport through a Solid-State Pore by Partial Surface Coatings. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:6123-6132. [PMID: 36661232 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c19485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Using functional nanofluidic devices to manipulate ion transport allows us to explore the nanoscale development of blue energy harvesters and iontronic building blocks. Herein, we report on a method to alter the nonlinear ionic current through a pore by partial dielectric coatings. A variety of dielectric materials are examined on both the inner and outer surfaces of the channel with four different patterns of coated or uncoated surfaces. Through controlling the specific part of the surface charge, the pore can behave like a resistor, diode, and bipolar junction transistor. We use numerical simulations to find out the reason for the asymmetric ion transport in the pore and illustrate the relationship between specifically charged surfaces and electroosmotic flow. These findings help understand the role of the corresponding surface composition in ion transport, which provides a direct approach to modify the electroosmotic-flow-driven ionic current rectification in the channel-based device via dielectric coatings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iat Wai Leong
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
| | - Makusu Tsutsui
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
| | - Kazumichi Yokota
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Takamatsu, Kagawa 761-0395, Japan
| | - Sanae Murayama
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
| | - Masateru Taniguchi
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
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7
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Yadav SK, D M, Singh C, Kumar M, G A, Ramaprabhu S, Nandigana VVR, Nayak PK. Laser-Assisted Scalable Pore Fabrication in Graphene Membranes for Blue-Energy Generation. Chemphyschem 2022; 24:e202200598. [PMID: 36510477 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202200598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The osmotic energy from a salinity gradient (i. e. blue energy) is identified as a promising non-intermittent renewable energy source for a sustainable technology. However, this membrane-based technology is facing major limitations for large-scale viability, primarily due to the poor membrane performance. An atomically thin 2D nanoporous material with high surface charge density resolves the bottleneck and leads to a new class of membrane material the salinity gradient energy. Although 2D nanoporous membranes show extremely high performance in terms of energy generation through the single pore, the fabrication and technical challenges such as ion concentration polarization make the nanoporous membrane a non-viable solution. On the other hand, the mesoporous and micro porous structures in the 2D membrane result in improved energy generation with very low fabrication complexity. In the present work, we report femtosecond (fs) laser-assisted scalable fabrication of μm to mm size pores on Graphene membrane for blue energy generation for the first time. A remarkable osmotic power in the order of μW has been achieved using mm size pores, which is about six orders of magnitudes higher compared to nanoporous membranes, which is mainly due to the diffusion-osmosis driven large ionic flux. Our work paves the way towards fs laser-assisted scalable pore creation in the 2D membrane for large-scale osmotic power generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharad Kumar Yadav
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India.,Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India.,Micro Nano and Bio-Fluidics Group, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India
| | - Manikandan D
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
| | - Chob Singh
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
| | - Mukesh Kumar
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
| | - Aswathy G
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India
| | - Sundara Ramaprabhu
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India.,Alternative Energy and Nanotechnology Laboratory (AENL), Nano Functional Materials Technology Centre (NFMTC), Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Vishal V R Nandigana
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India
| | - Pramoda K Nayak
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India.,Micro Nano and Bio-Fluidics Group, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India.,2D Materials Research and Innovation Group, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India.,Centre for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain (Deemed-to-be University), Jain Global Campus, Kanakapura, Bangalore, 562112, India
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Song F, An X, Ma L, Zhuang J, Qiu Y. Influences of Divalent Ions in Natural Seawater/River Water on Nanofluidic Osmotic Energy Generation. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:12935-12943. [PMID: 36244025 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Besides the dominant NaCl, natural seawater/river water contains trace multivalent ions, which can provide effective screening of surface charges. Here, in both negatively and positively charged nanopores, influences from divalent ions as counterions and co-ions have been investigated with respect to the performance of osmotic energy conversion (OEC) under natural salt gradients. As counterions, trace Ca2+ ions can suppress the electric power and conversion efficiency significantly. The reduced OEC performance is due to the bivalence and low diffusion coefficient of Ca2+ ions instead of the uphill transport of divalent ions discovered in the previous work. Effectively screened charged surfaces by Ca2+ ions induce an enhanced diffusion of Cl- ions which simultaneously decreases the net ion penetration and ionic selectivity of the nanopore. As co-ions, Ca2+ ions have weak effects on the OEC performance. The promotion from charged exterior surfaces in OEC processes for ultrashort nanopores is also studied, with an effective region of ∼200 nm in width beyond pore boundaries independent of the presence of Ca2+ ions. Our results shed light on the physical details of the nanofluidic OEC process under natural seawater/river water conditions, which can provide a useful guide for high-performance osmotic energy harvesting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenhong Song
- School of Energy and Power Engineering, Northeast Electric Power University, Jilin132012, China
| | - Xuan An
- School of Energy and Power Engineering, Northeast Electric Power University, Jilin132012, China
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan250061, China
| | - Long Ma
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan250061, China
| | - Jiakun Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan250061, China
| | - Yinghua Qiu
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan250061, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Shandong University, Shenzhen518000, China
- Suzhou Research Institute, Shandong University, Suzhou215123, China
- Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, Dalian116024, China
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