1
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Li G, Peng X, Yu L, Wang D, Zhao H, Chen Q, Zhao J, Zhou K, Xue Y. Nanofluidic Thermoelectric Transducer with Ultrahigh and Tunable Sensitivity. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:9863-9870. [PMID: 39301755 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c02370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
Thermosensitive transient receptor potential (thermoTRP) ion channels can transduce external thermal stimuli to neural electrical signals, allowing organisms to detect and respond to changes in environmental temperature. Reproducing such ionic machinery holds promise for advancing the design of highly efficient low-grade thermal energy harvesters and ultrasensitive thermal sensors. However, there still exist challenges for artificial nanofluidic architectures to achieve comparable thermoelectric performance. Here, we report nanofluidic thermoelectric transducers with ultrahigh and tunable sensitivities controlled by electrostatic gating in graphene nanochannels. The equivalent Seebeck coefficient can be significantly boosted and reaches 1 order of magnitude higher than the current state of the art, even beyond thermoTRP ion channels. The improvement is attributed to substantial slippage on the highly charged graphene surface, leading to enhanced electrokinetic ion transport inside the graphene channel, which is confirmed by a scaling theory for thermoelectric coupling as well as molecular dynamic simulations. The dependence of the nanofluidic thermoelectric on the concentration, channel size, and cation types is also investigated to further clarify the underlying mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guobin Li
- Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering & Center for Complex Flows and Soft Matter Research, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xin Peng
- Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering & Center for Complex Flows and Soft Matter Research, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Lingfeng Yu
- Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering & Center for Complex Flows and Soft Matter Research, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Di Wang
- Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering & Center for Complex Flows and Soft Matter Research, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - He Zhao
- Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering & Center for Complex Flows and Soft Matter Research, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qiang Chen
- Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering & Center for Complex Flows and Soft Matter Research, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jiduo Zhao
- Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering & Center for Complex Flows and Soft Matter Research, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ke Zhou
- College of Energy, Soochow Institute for Energy and Materials Innovations (SIEMIS), Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Yahui Xue
- Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering & Center for Complex Flows and Soft Matter Research, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
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2
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Xie Y, Huang CQ, Zhou K, Liu Y. Elucidating the transport of water and ions in the nanochannel of covalent organic frameworks by molecular dynamics. J Chem Phys 2024; 161:014708. [PMID: 38953451 DOI: 10.1063/5.0195205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Inspired by biological channels, achieving precise separation of ion/water and ion/ion requires finely tuned pore sizes at molecular dimensions and deliberate exposure of charged groups. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a class of porous crystalline materials, offer well-defined nanoscale pores and diverse structures, making them excellent candidates for nanofluidic channels that facilitate ion and water transport. In this study, we perform molecular simulations to investigate the structure and kinetics of water and ions confined within the typical COFs with varied exposure of charged groups. The COFs exhibit vertically arrayed nanochannels, enabling diffusion coefficients of water molecules within COFs to remain within the same order of magnitude as in the bulk. The motion of water molecules manifests in two distinct modes, creating a mobile hydration layer around acid groups. The ion diffusion within COFs displays a notable disparity between monovalent (M+) and divalent (M2+) cations. As a result, the selectivity of M+/M2+ can exceed 100, while differentiation among M+ is less pronounced. In addition, our simulations indicate a high rejection (R > 98%) in COFs, indicating their potential as ideal materials for desalination. The chemical flexibility of COFs indicates that would hold significant promise as candidates for advanced artificial ion channels and separation membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahui Xie
- College of Energy, SIEMIS, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, SV LAB, School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Chuan-Qi Huang
- Hangzhou Institute of Advanced Studies, Zhejiang Normal University, Hangzhou 311231, China
| | - Ke Zhou
- College of Energy, SIEMIS, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Yilun Liu
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, SV LAB, School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
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3
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Zhang Y, Zhou K, Su S, Gao J, Liu J, Jiang L. Congener-welded crystalline carbon nitride membrane for robust and highly selective Li/Mg separation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadm9620. [PMID: 38875338 PMCID: PMC11177944 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm9620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Extracting lithium from salt-lake brines critically relies on the separation of Li+ and Mg2+, which could combat the lithium shortage. However, designing robust sieving membrane with high Li+/Mg2+ selectivity in the long-time operation has remained highly challenging. Here, we demonstrate a bioinspired congener-welded crystalline carbon nitride membrane that can accomplish efficient and stable monovalent ion sieving over divalent Mg ion. The crystalline carbon nitrides have uniform and narrow pore size to reject the large hydrated Mg2+ and rich ligating sites to facilitate an almost barrierless Li+ transport as suggested by ab initio simulations. These crystals were then welded by vapor-deposited congeners, i.e., amorphous polymer carbon nitride, which have similar composition and chemistry with the crystals, forming intimate and compatible crystal/polymer interface. As a result, our membrane can sieve out highly dilute Li+ (0.002 M) from concentrated Mg2+ (1.0 M) with a high selectivity of 1708, and can be continuously operated for 10 days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Zhang
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao 266101, China
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Ke Zhou
- College of Energy, Soochow Institute for Energy and Materials InnovationS (SIEMIS), Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Advanced Carbon Materials and Wearable Energy Technologies, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Shigang Su
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Jun Gao
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao 266101, China
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Lei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100090, China
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4
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Yang Y, Wang M, He Q, Zhai P, Zhang P, Gong Y. Ion Transport Behavior in van der Waals Gaps of 2D Materials. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2310681. [PMID: 38462953 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202310681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
2D materials, with advantages of atomic thickness and novel physical/chemical characteristics, have emerged as the vital building blocks for advanced lamellar membranes which possess promising potential in energy storage, ion separation, and catalysis. When 2D materials are stacked together, the van der Waals (vdW) force generated between adjacent layered nanosheets induces the construction of an ordered lamellar membrane. By regulating the interlayer spacing down to the nanometer or even sub-nanometer scale, rapid and selective ion transport can be achieved through such vdW gaps. The further improvement and application of qualified 2D materials-based lamellar membranes (2DLMs) can be fulfilled by the rational design of nanochannels and the intelligent micro-environment regulation under different stimuli. Focusing on the newly emerging advances of 2DLMs, in this review, the common top-down and bottom-up synthesis approaches of 2D nanosheets and the design strategy of functional 2DLMs are briefly introduced. Two essential ion transport mechanisms within vdW gaps are also involved. Subsequently, the responsive 2DLMs based on different types of external stimuli and their unique applications in nanofluid transport, membrane-based filters, and energy storage are presented. Based on the above analysis, the existing challenges and future developing prospects of 2DLMs are further proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahan Yang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Moxuan Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Qianqian He
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Pengbo Zhai
- Tianmushan Laboratory, Xixi Octagon City, Yuhang, Hangzhou, 310023, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Yongji Gong
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
- Tianmushan Laboratory, Xixi Octagon City, Yuhang, Hangzhou, 310023, China
- Center for Micro-Nano Innovation, Beihang University, Beijing, 100029, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing Materials and Chip Integration Technology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310051, China
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5
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Li S, Zhang X, Su J. Desalination Performance in Janus Graphene Oxide Channels: Geometric Asymmetry vs Charge Polarity. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:2659-2671. [PMID: 38166374 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c16592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Improving the desalination performance of membranes is always in the spotlight of scientific research; however, Janus channels with polarized surface charge as nanofiltration membranes are still unexplored. In this work, using molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that Janus graphene oxide (GO) channels with appropriate geometry and surface charge can serve as highly efficient nanofiltration membranes. We observe that the water permeability of symmetric Janus GO channels is significantly superior to that of asymmetric channels without sacrificing much ion rejection, owing to weakened ion blockage and electrostatic effects. Furthermore, in symmetric Janus GO channels, the transport of water and ions is sensitive to the charge polarity of the channel inner surface, which is realized by tuning the ratio of cationic and anionic functionalization. Specifically, with the increase in cationic functionalization, the water flux decreases monotonously, while ion rejection displays an interesting maximum behavior that indicates desalination optimization. Moreover, the trade-off between water permeability and ion rejection suggests that the Janus GO channels have an excellent desalination potential and are highly tunable according to the specific water treatment requirements. Our work sheds light on the key role of channel geometry and charge polarity in the desalination performance of Janus GO channels, which paves the way for the design of novel desalination devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Li
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Microstructure and Quantum Sensing, and Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Xinke Zhang
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Microstructure and Quantum Sensing, and Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Jiaye Su
- MIIT Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Microstructure and Quantum Sensing, and Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
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6
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Qian C, Zhou K. Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Investigation of the Solvation States of Hydrated Ions in Confined Water. Inorg Chem 2023; 62:17756-17765. [PMID: 37855150 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c02443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Ionic transport in nanoscale channels with a critical size comparable to that of ions and solutes exhibits exceptional performance in water desalination, ion separation, electrocatalysts, and supercapacitors. However, the solvation states (SSs), i.e., the hydration structures and probability distribution, of hydrated ions in nanochannels differ from those in the bulk and the perspective of continuum theory. In this work, we conduct ab initio enhanced-sampling atomistic simulations to investigate the ion-specific SSs of monovalent ions (including Li+, Na+, K+, F-, Cl-, and I-) in the graphene channel with a width of 1 nm. Our findings highlight that the SSs of those ions are primarily determined by ion-water hydration, where ion-wall interactions play a minor role. The distribution of ions in layered confined water is a result of ion-specific hydration, which arises from the synergy of entropy and enthalpy. The free energy barriers for transitions between SSs are on the order of 1kBT, allowing for modulation through applying external fields or modifying surface properties. As the ion-wall interaction strengthens, as observed in vermiculite and carbides and nitrides of transition metal channels, the probability of near-wall SSs increases. These results help to improve the performance of nanofluidic devices and provide crucial insights for developing accurate force fields of molecular simulations or advanced theoretical approaches for ion dynamics in confined channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Qian
- College of Energy, Soochow Institute for Energy and Materials InnovationS (SIEMIS), Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Advanced Carbon Materials and Wearable Energy Technologies, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ke Zhou
- College of Energy, Soochow Institute for Energy and Materials InnovationS (SIEMIS), Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Advanced Carbon Materials and Wearable Energy Technologies, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
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7
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Liu S, Wang L, Xia J, Wang R, Tang C, Wang C. Competition between Hydration Shell and Ordered Water Chain Induces Thickness-Dependent Desalination Performance in Carbon Nanotube Membrane. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:membranes13050525. [PMID: 37233586 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13050525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Exploring new reverse osmosis (RO) membranes that break the permeability-selectivity trade-off rule is the ultimate goal in seawater desalination. Both nanoporous monolayer graphene (NPG) and carbon nanotube (CNT) channels have been proposed to be promising candidates for this purpose. From the perspective of membrane thickness, both NPG and CNT can be classified into the same category, as NPG is equivalent to the thinnest CNT. While NPG has the advantage of a high water flux rate and CNT is excellent at salt rejection performance, a transition is expected in practical devices when the channel thickness increases from NPG to infinite-sized CNTs. By employing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we find that as the thickness of CNT increases, the water flux diminishes but the ion rejection rate increases. These transitions lead to optimal desalination performance around the cross-over size. Further molecular analysis reveals that this thickness effect originates from the formation of two hydration shells and their competition with the ordered water chain structure. With the increase in CNT thickness, the competition-dominated ion path through CNT is further narrowed. Once above this cross-over size, the highly confined ion path remains unchanged. Thus, the number of reduced water molecules also tends to stabilize, which explains the saturation of the salt rejection rate with the increasing CNT thickness. Our results offer insights into the molecular mechanisms of the thickness-dependent desalination performance in a one-dimensional nanochannel, which can provide useful guidance for the future design and optimization of new desalination membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyi Liu
- Faculty of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Liya Wang
- Faculty of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Jun Xia
- Faculty of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Ruijie Wang
- Faculty of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Chun Tang
- Faculty of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Chengyuan Wang
- Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Bay Campus, Swansea SA1 8EN, UK
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8
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Bañuelos JL, Borguet E, Brown GE, Cygan RT, DeYoreo JJ, Dove PM, Gaigeot MP, Geiger FM, Gibbs JM, Grassian VH, Ilgen AG, Jun YS, Kabengi N, Katz L, Kubicki JD, Lützenkirchen J, Putnis CV, Remsing RC, Rosso KM, Rother G, Sulpizi M, Villalobos M, Zhang H. Oxide- and Silicate-Water Interfaces and Their Roles in Technology and the Environment. Chem Rev 2023; 123:6413-6544. [PMID: 37186959 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Interfacial reactions drive all elemental cycling on Earth and play pivotal roles in human activities such as agriculture, water purification, energy production and storage, environmental contaminant remediation, and nuclear waste repository management. The onset of the 21st century marked the beginning of a more detailed understanding of mineral aqueous interfaces enabled by advances in techniques that use tunable high-flux focused ultrafast laser and X-ray sources to provide near-atomic measurement resolution, as well as by nanofabrication approaches that enable transmission electron microscopy in a liquid cell. This leap into atomic- and nanometer-scale measurements has uncovered scale-dependent phenomena whose reaction thermodynamics, kinetics, and pathways deviate from previous observations made on larger systems. A second key advance is new experimental evidence for what scientists hypothesized but could not test previously, namely, interfacial chemical reactions are frequently driven by "anomalies" or "non-idealities" such as defects, nanoconfinement, and other nontypical chemical structures. Third, progress in computational chemistry has yielded new insights that allow a move beyond simple schematics, leading to a molecular model of these complex interfaces. In combination with surface-sensitive measurements, we have gained knowledge of the interfacial structure and dynamics, including the underlying solid surface and the immediately adjacent water and aqueous ions, enabling a better definition of what constitutes the oxide- and silicate-water interfaces. This critical review discusses how science progresses from understanding ideal solid-water interfaces to more realistic systems, focusing on accomplishments in the last 20 years and identifying challenges and future opportunities for the community to address. We anticipate that the next 20 years will focus on understanding and predicting dynamic transient and reactive structures over greater spatial and temporal ranges as well as systems of greater structural and chemical complexity. Closer collaborations of theoretical and experimental experts across disciplines will continue to be critical to achieving this great aspiration.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Leobardo Bañuelos
- Department of Physics, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Eric Borguet
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
| | - Gordon E Brown
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Randall T Cygan
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - James J DeYoreo
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Patricia M Dove
- Department of Geosciences, Department of Chemistry, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, United States
| | - Marie-Pierre Gaigeot
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, CNRS, LAMBE UMR8587, 91025 Evry-Courcouronnes, France
| | - Franz M Geiger
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Julianne M Gibbs
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2Canada
| | - Vicki H Grassian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, California 92093, United States
| | - Anastasia G Ilgen
- Geochemistry Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Young-Shin Jun
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Nadine Kabengi
- Department of Geosciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, United States
| | - Lynn Katz
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - James D Kubicki
- Department of Earth, Environmental & Resource Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Johannes Lützenkirchen
- Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung─INE, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen 76344, Germany
| | - Christine V Putnis
- Institute for Mineralogy, University of Münster, Münster D-48149, Germany
| | - Richard C Remsing
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Kevin M Rosso
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Gernot Rother
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Marialore Sulpizi
- Department of Physics, Ruhr Universität Bochum, NB6, 65, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Mario Villalobos
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y del Suelo, LANGEM, Instituto De Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Huichun Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
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Zhao G, Zhou K, Hu R, Zhu H. Graphene oxide nanofiltration membranes with confined Na+ in two-dimensional nanochannels. Sep Purif Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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10
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Zhou K, Qian C, Liu Y. Quantifying the Structure of Water and Hydrated Monovalent Ions by Density Functional Theory-Based Molecular Dynamics. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:10471-10480. [PMID: 36451081 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
The accurate description of the structures of water and hydrated ions is important in electrochemical desalination, ion separation, and supercapacitors. In this work, we present an ab initio atomistic simulation-based study to explore the structure of water and hydrated monovalent ions (Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, F-, and Cl-) at ambient conditions using generalized gradient approximation (GGA)-based methods with and without van der Waals correction (PBE, PBE + D3, and revPBE + D3) and recently developed strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) meta-GGA. We find that both revPBE + D3 and SCAN can well capture the structure of bulk water with +30 K artificial high temperature in contrast to overstructuring water using PBE and PBE + D3. However, being the same as PBE + D3, revPBE + D3 overestimates the structure of the hydration shell, especially for monovalent cations. Surprisingly, SCAN can well match the experimental results of hydrated monovalent ions. Detailed structure analyzes of entropy reveal that the hydration shell under the level of PBE + D3 and revPBE + D3 is more disordered and looser than SCAN. The successful prediction of the flexible SCAN functional could facilitate the exploration of complex ionic processes in the aqueous phase, the interactions of hydrated ions with surfaces, and solvation states in nanopores at an accurate, efficient, predictive, and ab initio level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zhou
- College of Energy, Soochow Institute for Energy and Materials InnovationS (SIEMIS), Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Advanced Carbon Materials and Wearable Energy Technologies, Soochow University, Suzhou215006, China.,Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, SV LAB, School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an710049, China
| | - Chen Qian
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Yilun Liu
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, SV LAB, School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an710049, China
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11
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Li Y, Tang N, Zhang L, Li J. Fabrication of Fe-doped Lithium-aluminum-layered Hydroxide Chloride with Enhanced Reusable Stability Inspired by Computational Theory and its Application in Lithium Extraction. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2022.130641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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12
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Wang Q, Qu Z, Zhang X, Chen L. Electronic-Level Insight into Interfacial Effects and Their Induced Anisotropic Ion Diffusion and Ion Selectivity in Nanochannels. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:37608-37619. [PMID: 35917159 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c06687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Osmotic energy conversion features directional ion migration in selective nanochannels, dominated by interfacial effects, temperature, and concentration. Current efforts emphasize membrane modification for superior reliability and durability, whereas the origin and implication of interfacial effects are unclear. This work performs ab initio molecular dynamics simulations for hydrated ion-graphene oxide interfaces by regulating the temperature and concentration. The interfacial effects associated with their induced anisotropic ion diffusion and ion selectivity are revealed. The scientific essence of the interfacial effects is an electron transfer triggered by hydrated ion-functional group interactions. The interfacial effects are clarified to include dynamic solvation structures, interfacial H-bonds, and chemical reactions. Ions possess incomplete hydration shells, and their arrangements vary from ordered to disordered to overlapped. Interfacial H-bonds restrict hydrated ions by constraining water molecules, whereas continuous reactions provide lateral pathways to generate anisotropy. Cation selectivity is further clarified by negative surface charges from hydroxyl deprotonation. Besides, temperature rise induces disordered hydrated ions as well as frequent and violent reactions, enhancing ion diffusion, selectivity, and anisotropy; excessive concentrations produce overlapped hydrated ions, more H-bonds, and inferior reactions, weakening ion diffusion, selectivity, and anisotropy. Finally, the bottom-up concept for osmotic energy conversion is summarized, and elevated temperature combined with low concentration is found to boost ion diffusion and ion selectivity synergistically. This work provides an in-depth understanding of interfacial phenomena and ion behaviors in nanochannels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Thermal-Fluid Science and Engineering, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049, China
| | - Zhiguo Qu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Thermal-Fluid Science and Engineering, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Thermal-Fluid Science and Engineering, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049, China
| | - Liang Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Thermal-Fluid Science and Engineering, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049, China
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13
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Zhang G, Lin L, Shen W, Wang X, Wang Y, Cao L, Liu F. A New Strategy for Highly Efficient Separation between Monovalent Cations by Applying Opposite-Oriented Pressure and Electric Fields. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2203396. [PMID: 35906891 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202203396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Biological ion channels exhibit excellent ion selectivity, but it has been challenging to design their artificial counterparts, especially for highly efficient separation of similar ions. Here, a new strategy to achieve high selectivity between alkali metal ions with artificial nanostructures is reported. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and experiments are combined to study the transportation of monovalent cations through graphene oxide (GO) nanoslits by applying pressure or/and electric fields. It is found that the ionic transport selectivity under the pressure driving reverses compared with that under the electric field driving. Moreover, MD simulations show that different monovalent cations can be separated with unprecedentedly high selectivity by applying opposite-oriented pressure and electric fields. This highly efficient separation originates from two distinctive ionic transporting modes, that is, hydration shells drive ions under pressure, but drag ions under the electric field. Hence, ions with different hydration strengths can be efficiently separated by tuning the net mobility induced by the two types of driving forces when the selected ions are kept moving while the other ones are immobilized. And nanoconfinement is confirmed to enhance the separation efficacy. This discovery paves a new avenue for separating similar ions without elaborately designing biomimetic nanostructures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gehui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Lingxin Lin
- College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, China
| | - Wenhao Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xue Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yugang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Liuxuan Cao
- College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, China
| | - Feng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Key Laboratory of Hebei Province for Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, School of Health Science & Biomedical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, China
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14
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Wu ZQ, Li CY, Ding XL, Li ZQ, Xia XH. Synergistic Effect of Electrostatic Interaction and Ionic Dehydration on Asymmetric Ion Transport in Nanochannel/Ion Channel Composite Membrane. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:5267-5274. [PMID: 35674726 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ion transport in nanochannels of a size comparable to that of hydrated ions exhibits unique properties due to the synergistic effect of various forces. Here, we design a nanochannel/ion channel composite (NIC) membrane that shows a high ion current rectification (ICR) ratio in different electrolytes. Experimental and theoretical results demonstrate that the synergistic effect of electrostatic interaction and ionic dehydration plays an important role in regulating the ICR behavior of the NIC membrane. We find that electrostatic attraction between ions and the channel surface in the ultraconfined space increases the probability of ionic dehydarion, resulting in different dehydration energy costs for different ions. This further alters the driving force for ion transport and thus regulates ICR of the NIC membrane. This work provides fundamental knowledge of ion transport in ion channels, which aids in the understanding of the function of biological systems and the design of high-performance nanochannel devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeng-Qiang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
| | - Cheng-Yong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- School of Chemistry & Environment, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Xin-Lei Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhong-Qiu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xing-Hua Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
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15
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Zhou S, Xie L, Yan M, Zeng H, Zhang X, Zeng J, Liang Q, Liu T, Chen P, Jiang L, Kong B. Super-assembly of freestanding graphene oxide-aramid fiber membrane with T-mode subnanochannels for sensitive ion transport. Analyst 2022; 147:652-660. [PMID: 35060575 DOI: 10.1039/d1an02232f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Biomimetic nacre-like membranes composed of two-dimensional lamellar sheets and one-dimensional nanofibers exhibit high mechanical strength and excellent stability. Thus, they show substantial application in the field of membrane science and water purification. However, the limited techniques for the assembly of two-dimensional lamellar membranes and one-dimensional nanofibers hamper their development and application. Herein, we developed a nacre-like and freestanding graphene oxide/aramid fiber membrane with abundant T-mode subnanochannels by introducing aramid fibers into graphene oxide interlamination via the super-assembly interaction between graphene oxide and aramid fibers. Benefiting from the presence of stable and adjustable sub-nanometer-size ion transport channels, the graphene oxide/aramid fiber composite membrane exhibited excellent mono/divalent ion selectivity of 3.51 (K+/Mg2+), which is superior to that of the pure graphene oxide membrane. The experimental results suggest that the mono/divalent ion selectivity is ascribed to the subnanochannels in the graphene oxide/aramid fiber composite membrane, electrostatic repulsion interaction and strong interaction between the divalent metal ion and carboxyl groups. Moreover, the composite membrane exhibited remarkable charge selectivity with a K+/Cl- ratio of up to ∼158, indicating that this graphene oxide/aramid fiber composite membrane has great potential for application in energy conversion. This study provides an avenue to prepare freestanding and nacre-like composite membranes with abundant T-mode ion transport channels for ion recognition and energy conversion, which also shows great application prospects in the field of membrane science and water purification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Zhou
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
| | - Lei Xie
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
| | - Miao Yan
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
| | - Hui Zeng
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
| | - Xin Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
| | - Jie Zeng
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
| | - Qirui Liang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
| | - Tianyi Liu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
| | - Pu Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Lei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Biao Kong
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
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16
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High-Efficiency Separation of Mg 2+/Sr 2+ through a NF Membrane under Electric Field. MEMBRANES 2021; 12:membranes12010057. [PMID: 35054582 PMCID: PMC8781883 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12010057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The efficient separation of Sr2+/Mg2+ through nanofiltration (NF) technology is a great challenge because Sr2+ and Mg2+ ions are congeners with the same valence and chemical properties. In this work, an NF membrane under an electric field (EF) was successfully employed to separate Mg2+ and Sr2+ ions for the first time. The effects of current densities, Mg2+/Sr2+ mass ratios, pH of the feed, and coexisting cations on separation performance were investigated. Dehydration of Sr2+ or Mg2+ ions under EF was proved by molecular dynamics simulation. The results showed that a high-efficient separation of Mg2+/Sr2+ was achieved: Mg2+ removal of above 99% and increase in Sr2+ permeation with increasing EF. A separation factor reached 928 under optimal conditions, far higher than that without EF. The efficient separation of Mg2+/Sr2+ ions was mainly due to rejection of most Mg2+ ions by NF membrane and in situ precipitation of partly permeated Mg2+ ions by OH− generated on the cathode under EF. Meanwhile, preferential dehydration of Sr2+ ions under EF due to lower hydration energy of Sr2+ compared with Mg2+ resulted in an increase of permeation of Sr2+ ions. This work provided a new idea for separation of congener ions with similar valence and chemical properties.
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17
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Zhou K, Jiao S, Chen Y, Qin H, Liu Y. Reduced Ionic Conductivity but Enhanced Local Ionic Conductivity in Nanochannels. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:12577-12585. [PMID: 34672598 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c01876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The ionic transport in nanoscale channels with the critical size comparable to ions and solvents shows excellent performance on electrochemical desalination, ion separation, and supercapacitors. However, the key quantity ionic conductivity (σ) in the nanochannel that evaluates how easily the electric current is driven by an external voltage is still unknown because of the challenges in experimental measurement. In this work, we present an atomistic simulation-based study, which shows that how the ion concentration, nanoconfinement, and heterogeneous solvation modify the ionic conductivity in a two-dimensional graphene nanochannel. We find that σ in the confined channel is lower than that in the bulk (σb) at the same concentration along with enhanced ion-ion correlation. However, surprisingly, the local σ near the channel wall is more conductive than σb and is about 2-3 folds of the inner layer due to the highly concentrated charge carriers. Based on the layered feature of σ along the width of the channel, we propose a model that contains two dead (or depletion) layers, two highly conductive layers, and one inner layer to describe the ionic dynamics in the nanochannels. Our findings may open the way to unique nanofluidic functionalities, such as energy harvesting/storage and controlling transport at single-molecule and ion levels using the liquid layer near the wall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zhou
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, SV LAB, School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Shuping Jiao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mechanics in Energy Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, School of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, SV LAB, School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Huasong Qin
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, SV LAB, School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Yilun Liu
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, SV LAB, School of Aerospace, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
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18
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Lu C, Hu C, Ritt CL, Hua X, Sun J, Xia H, Liu Y, Li DW, Ma B, Elimelech M, Qu J. In Situ Characterization of Dehydration during Ion Transport in Polymeric Nanochannels. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:14242-14252. [PMID: 34431669 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c05765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The transport of hydrated ions across nanochannels is central to biological systems and membrane-based applications, yet little is known about their hydrated structure during transport due to the absence of in situ characterization techniques. Herein, we report experimentally resolved ion dehydration during transmembrane transport using modified in situ liquid ToF-SIMS in combination with MD simulations for a mechanistic reasoning. Notably, complete dehydration was not necessary for transport to occur across membranes with sub-nanometer pores. Partial shedding of water molecules from ion solvation shells, observed as a decrease in the average hydration number, allowed the alkali-metal ions studied here (lithium, sodium, and potassium) to permeate membranes with pores smaller than their solvated size. We find that ions generally cannot hold more than two water molecules during this sterically limited transport. In nanopores larger than the size of the solvation shell, we show that ionic mobility governs the ion hydration number distribution. Viscous effects, such as interactions with carboxyl groups inside the membrane, preferentially hinder the transport of the mono- and dihydrates. Our novel technique for studying ion solvation in situ represents a significant technological leap for the nanofluidics field and may enable important advances in ion separation, biosensing, and battery applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenghai Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Chengzhi Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Cody L Ritt
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Xin Hua
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingqiu Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Hailun Xia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingya Liu
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Da-Wei Li
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Baiwen Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Jiuhui Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
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19
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Chen Z, Yang J, Ma C, Zhou K, Jiao S. Continuous Water Filling in a Graphene Nanochannel: A Molecular Dynamics Study. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:9824-9833. [PMID: 34424717 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c05658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Low dimensional materials especially carbon materials hold high promise in the fields of water purification, mineral separation, energy harvesting/conversion, and so on. The fluidic devices fabricated by direct synthesis, lithography, or self-assembly of low dimensional materials provide opportunities for exploring the novel properties and applications of nanoconfined transport. Here, continuous filling of water and acetone molecules into a graphene nanochannel is investigated. A stairlike nonlinear dependence of the number of filling water molecules on interlayer distance d is found when d < 1 nm due to the existence of out-plane layered and in-plane ordered monolayer structure, while near-linear dependence is found for acetone because of the freely rotating configurations along with varying d during the filling process. The entropy, potential energy, and free energy of the confined system during the continuous filling are analyzed to understand the structural evolution of water. The energy-costs are discussed depending on the structure evolution of water during the filling, which is crucial to understanding the swelling and capillary condensation widely existing in the angstrom/nanometer-scale separation membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mechanics in Energy Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, School of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Shanghai University, Yanchang Road 149, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Jianwen Yang
- Department of Physics, Shanghai Normal University, Guilin Road 100, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Chengpeng Ma
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mechanics in Energy Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, School of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Shanghai University, Yanchang Road 149, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Ke Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Shuping Jiao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mechanics in Energy Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, School of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Shanghai University, Yanchang Road 149, Shanghai 200444, China
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20
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Gao H, Wang J, Liu Y, Xie Y, Král P, Lu R. Selectivity of ion transport in narrow carbon nanotubes depends on the driving force due to drag or drive nature of their active hydration shells. J Chem Phys 2021; 154:104707. [PMID: 33722021 DOI: 10.1063/5.0038662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations have revealed the important roles of hydration shells of ions transported through ultrathin carbon nanotubes (CNTs). In particular, ions driven by electric fields tend to drag their hydration shells behind them, while for ions transported by pressure, their hydration shells can actively drive them. Given the different binding strengths of hydration shells to ions of different sizes, these active roles of hydration shells affect the relative entry rates and driving speeds of ions in CNTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqi Gao
- Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuzhen Liu
- Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, People's Republic of China
| | - Yannan Xie
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Petr Král
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
| | - Ruifeng Lu
- Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, People's Republic of China
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21
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Jiao S, Liu M. Snap-through in Graphene Nanochannels: With Application to Fluidic Control. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:1158-1168. [PMID: 33354971 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c16468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies on the structure and transport behaviors of water confined within lamellar graphene have attracted intense interest in filtration technology, but the mechanism of water transport in complex membrane nanostructures remains an open question. For example, similar systems but at much larger scales have indicated that the instabilities of an elastic structure, such as snap-through, play an essential role in controlling the fluid flow. Graphene sheets, which have an atomic thickness, often appear highly wrinkled in nanofluidic devices and so are vulnerable to elastic instabilities. However, it remains unclear how does the flexible wrinkled structure affect the transport of water and filtration efficiency or whether such an effect can be exploited in devices. In this work, we explore the flow-induced snap-through in graphene nanochannels by combining molecular simulations with the theoretical analysis. We further demonstrate its applications to passive control of fluid flow and to ion/molecule selection. By introducing a flexible arch embedded within a graphene nanochannel, we observe the "snap" of the arched graphene wall from one stable state to another by varying the fluid flux (i.e., velocity); the critical velocity of this snap transition is found to depend nonmonotonically on the geometric size of the channel and the arch. We also demonstrate reversible snap-through by fixing the end parts of the flexible arch. These results suggest the potential of flow-induced snap-through in graphene-based nanochannels for ion/molecule selection applications in, for example, the design of a foul-resistant, easy-to-clean, reusable filter membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuping Jiao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mechanics in Energy Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, School of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Mingchao Liu
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, U.K
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22
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Zhou K, Xu Z. Nanoconfinement-Enforced Ion Correlation and Nanofluidic Ion Machinery. NANO LETTERS 2020; 20:8392-8398. [PMID: 33026226 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c03643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Machines operating at the atomic level are of fundamental interests for information manipulation and communication. However, preparation of thermodynamically stable states and regulation of transitions between them at a low energy cost are challenging. We report that, by enforcing nanoconfinement and surface gating, one can control the configurations and dynamics of ions for computational tasks. The layered structures of water confined in nanochannels render the spatial and temporal correlation between ions, offering a number of distinct states with paired configurations. Free energy barriers for transitions between them are on the order of kBT, allowing modulation through external fields or surface charges at a low energy cost. Ionic switches, rectifiers, and logical gates are constructed following the physical rules elucidated at the molecular level, opening an avenue toward artificial nanofluidic functionalities such as efficient ionic machinery by configuring the ionic pairs and controlled mass/charge transport by tuning the strength of correlation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zhou
- Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhiping Xu
- Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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23
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Liu Q, Cheng L, Liu G. Enhanced Selective Hydrogen Permeation through Graphdiyne Membrane: A Theoretical Study. MEMBRANES 2020; 10:E286. [PMID: 33076414 PMCID: PMC7650590 DOI: 10.3390/membranes10100286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Graphdiyne (GDY), with uniform pores and atomic thickness, is attracting widespread attention for application in H2 separation in recent years. However, the challenge lies in the rational design of GDYs for fast and selective H2 permeation. By MD and DFT calculations, several flexible GDYs were constructed to investigate the permeation properties of four pure gas (H2, N2, CO2, and CH4) and three equimolar binary mixtures (H2/N2, H2/CO2, and H2/CH4) in this study. When the pore size is smaller than 2.1 Å, the GDYs acted as an exceptional filter for H2 with an approximately infinite H2 selectivity. Beyond the size-sieving effect, in the separation process of binary mixtures, the blocking effect arising from the strong gas-membrane interaction was proven to greatly impede H2 permeation. After understanding the mechanism, the H2 permeance of the mixtures of H2/CO2 was further increased to 2.84 × 105 GPU by reducing the blocking effect with the addition of a tiny amount of surface charges, without sacrificing the selectivity. This theoretical study provides an additional atomic understanding of H2 permeation crossing GDYs, indicating that the GDY membrane could be a potential candidate for H2 purification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Liu
- Analytical and Testing Center, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China
| | - Long Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu Road (S), Nanjing 211816, China;
| | - Gongping Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu Road (S), Nanjing 211816, China;
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24
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Liu Q, Liu Y, Liu G. Simulation of cations separation through charged porous graphene membrane. Chem Phys Lett 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2020.137606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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25
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Zhou K, Xu Z. Field-enhanced selectivity in nanoconfined ionic transport. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:6512-6521. [PMID: 32154818 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr10731b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Fluid transport confined in nanochannels shows ultrafast permeation and highly efficient separation performance. However, the size-controlled selectivity of hydrated ions with a similar valence and size, such as alkali ions, is well below 5. We propose in this work to boost ion selectivity through the interaction with the wall of flow channels, which can be enhanced by applying an external electric field across the channel. Molecular simulations show that for ions diffusing near the walls of a graphene nanochannel, the hydration shells are perturbed, endowing the contrast in ion-wall interactions to modify the ion-specific free energy landscape. The trapping/hopping nature of ion diffusion near the wall leads to the conclusion that the diffusivity depends on the free energy barriers rather than the hydration size. This effect can be magnified by elevating the field strength, yielding more than ∼10-fold enhancement in the diffusivity-specific selectivity. With recent experimental advances in external electric field control and local electric field modulation near the surface, this work demonstrates a possible route to achieve high selectivity of alkali ions in nanofluidics, and explore the molecular structures and dynamics of hydrated ions near a surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zhou
- Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Zhiping Xu
- Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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26
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Qing L, Tao J, Yu H, Jiang P, Qiao C, Zhao S, Liu H. A molecular model for ion dehydration in confined water. AIChE J 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/aic.16938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leying Qing
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and School of Chemical EngineeringEast China University of Science and Technology Shanghai China
| | - Jiabo Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and School of Chemical EngineeringEast China University of Science and Technology Shanghai China
| | - Hongping Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and School of Chemical EngineeringEast China University of Science and Technology Shanghai China
| | - Peng Jiang
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and PharmacyWuhan Institute of Technology Wuhan China
| | - Chongzhi Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and School of Chemical EngineeringEast China University of Science and Technology Shanghai China
| | - Shuangliang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and School of Chemical EngineeringEast China University of Science and Technology Shanghai China
| | - Honglai Liu
- School of Chemistry and Molecular EngineeringEast China University of Science and Technology Shanghai China
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Yu Y, Fan J, Xia J, Zhu Y, Wu H, Wang F. Dehydration impeding ionic conductance through two-dimensional angstrom-scale slits. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:8449-8457. [PMID: 30985841 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr00317g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
There has been long-standing academic interest in the study of ion transport in nanochannel systems, owing to its vast implications in understanding the nature of numerous environmental, biological and chemical processes. Here, we investigate ion transport through two-dimensional slits using molecular dynamics simulations. These slits with angstrom-scale height dimensions can be realistically replicated in the simulation, which leads to direct comparisons between simulations and experiments. In particular, this new confining geometry allows the size exclusion effect to be unambiguously decoupled from other mechanisms. As the slit size approaches the ultimate scale, dehydration at the entry impedes the ionic conductance significantly, and even induces a complete ion rejection. We demonstrate that energy barriers required to accomplish the ion permeation can be theoretically connected to the partial dehydration process. The proposed model is further validated by simulations. Our results offer insights into the atomistic details of ion permeation, which may also shed light on developing effective ways for water filtration and desalination.
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Affiliation(s)
- YanZi Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Department of Modern Mechanics, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
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