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Ion Transport through Atomically Thin Cap74illaries

通过原子薄帽的离子传输74llaries

基本信息

批准号：
EP/R013063/1
负责人：
Radha Boya
金额：
$ 12.9万
依托单位：
University of Manchester
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2018
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2018 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FR013063%2F1
关键词：
Ion Transport through Atomically Thin

项目摘要

I propose to study the size effect in ion transport through capillaries with principal dimensions of few angstroms (Å). Ion sieving is of extreme importance in many natural systems (sub-nm ion channels perform important functions in cellular membranes) and in many technologies including desalination, chemical separation, dialysis, bio-analytics, etc. It has so far been only a distant goal to create artificial channels of this size, tune their properties as required and investigate their functioning. Traditionally, zeolites and porous polymer membranes are used for ionic and molecular sieving but the large size distribution and quest for smart membranes has driven the research in this area. Despite all the progress during the last decades, including the use of nanotubes and advanced nanolithography techniques, this goal could not be even approached, with device dimensions rarely reaching the true nanoscale in a limited number of geometries and with a limited number of materials. This is a formidable challenge, but also a central reason to engage in this fascinating area of research and I want to address this challenge by the use of 2D-atomic crystals. 2D-atomic crystals are highly fascinating and offer a route to the fabrication of "devices-by-design" through van der Waals heterostructure assembly with their properties tuned via chosen materials. If individual atomic planes were removed from a bulk crystal leaving behind flat voids of a chosen height; the tiny empty space has so much to offer in terms of manipulation of fluids, liquids, gases, particles and ions.Not only is this a groundbreaking technological advancement of the field of nanofluidics but also importantly the proposed capillaries offer a platform for studying fundamental scientific phenomenon of ionic transport in ultimately confined spaces. The key aims of this proposal are (1) investigation of in-depth intrinsic ion transport through these capillaries, including the role of steric effects, ion entry-exit effects especially when the size of ion is comparable to the capillary size, effect of 'quantum' confinement on the hydration shells surrounding the ions inside capillaries, etc. Such in-depth analysis is possible only because the proposed capillaries are atomically clean and involve little surface charge, unlike the previously studied experimental systems (e.g., nanotubes) dominated by the latter. (2) Gaining insights from the fundamentals of ion transport through these slits, smart capillaries will be constructed where the ions can be manipulated by a perpendicular electric field. The project will be executed at the University of Manchester (UoM) in condensed matter physics group, school of physics which has pioneered graphene/2D-materials research and National Graphene Institute. At the UoM, the graphene group is spread across many schools in the faculty of physics, chemistry, computer science, materials and life sciences, widening the scope of the possible target applications of the smart capillaries and making the project truly interdisciplinary. Our fabrication approach of angstrom-scale capillaries offers a great flexibility, reproducibility and possibility for design and sophisticated engineering, as described in the proposal. In particular, our fabrication procedures provide a new direction for the already exciting large field of nanofluidics but are not limited to only one area. By tackling a core issue i.e., understanding the intrinsic ion transport, alongside overcoming the primary obstacle to exploiting Å-scale confined spaces for size-selective ion separation, my research will impact across a broad range of fields and technologies including desalination, paving the way to future applications of far-reaching social and economic importance.

我建议研究离子通过主尺度为几埃（埃）的毛细管传输的尺寸效应。离子筛分在许多自然系统（亚纳米离子通道在细胞膜中发挥重要作用）和许多技术（包括脱盐、化学分离、透析、生物分析等）中具有极其重要的意义。到目前为止，创建这种尺寸的人工通道、根据需要调整其特性并研究其功能只是一个遥远的目标。传统上，沸石和多孔聚合物膜用于离子和分子筛，但大尺寸分布和对智能膜的追求推动了该领域的研究。尽管在过去几十年中取得了所有进展，包括使用纳米管和先进的纳米光刻技术，但这一目标甚至无法实现，器件尺寸很少在有限数量的几何形状和有限数量的材料中达到真正的纳米级。这是一个巨大的挑战，但也是从事这一迷人研究领域的核心原因，我想通过使用2D原子晶体来解决这一挑战。二维原子晶体是非常迷人的，并提供了一条路线，通过货车德瓦尔斯异质结构组装与他们的性质通过选择材料调谐的“设备设计”的制造。如果从大块晶体中去除单个原子平面，留下选定高度的平坦空隙;这个微小的空间在操控流体，液体，气体，这不仅是纳米流体领域的突破性技术进步，而且重要的是，所提出的毛细管为研究离子传输的基本科学现象提供了一个平台，密闭空间本研究的主要目的是（1）深入研究离子在毛细管中的内在传输，包括空间位阻效应、离子进出效应（尤其是当离子大小与毛细管大小相当时）、“量子”限制对毛细管内离子周围水化壳层的影响，这样的深入分析是可能的，仅仅是因为所提出的毛细管是原子级清洁的并且涉及很少的表面电荷，这与先前研究的实验系统（例如，nanotubes）由后者主导。(2)从离子通过这些狭缝传输的基本原理中获得见解，将构建智能毛细管，其中离子可以通过垂直电场进行操纵。该项目将在曼彻斯特大学（UoM）的凝聚态物理组，物理学院和国家石墨烯研究所执行，该学院开创了石墨烯/2D材料研究。在UoM，石墨烯组分布在物理，化学，计算机科学，材料和生命科学学院的许多学校，扩大了智能毛细管可能的目标应用范围，并使该项目真正跨学科。我们的埃级毛细管的制造方法为设计和复杂工程提供了极大的灵活性，可重复性和可能性，如提案中所述。特别是，我们的制造程序为已经令人兴奋的大领域纳米流体提供了一个新的方向，但不仅限于一个领域。通过解决一个核心问题，即，了解内在的离子传输，以及克服利用大规模有限空间进行尺寸选择性离子分离的主要障碍，我的研究将影响包括海水淡化在内的广泛领域和技术，为未来具有深远社会和经济意义的应用铺平道路。