Surface-charge-governed ion transport in nanofluidic channels

A study of ion transport in aqueous-filled silica channels as thin as 70 nm reveals a remarkable degree of conduction at low salt concentrations that departs strongly from bulk behavior: In the dilute limit, the electrical conductances of channels saturate at a value that is independent of both the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2004-07, Vol.93 (3), p.035901.1-035901.4, Article 035901
Main Authors: STEIN, Derek, KRUITHOF, Maarten, DEKKER, Cees
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties
Diffusion and ionic conduction in liquids
Exact sciences and technology
Ionic conduction
Physics
Transport properties of condensed matter (nonelectronic)
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Summary:A study of ion transport in aqueous-filled silica channels as thin as 70 nm reveals a remarkable degree of conduction at low salt concentrations that departs strongly from bulk behavior: In the dilute limit, the electrical conductances of channels saturate at a value that is independent of both the salt concentration and the channel height. Our data are well described by an electrokinetic model parametrized only by the surface-charge density. Using chemical surface modifications, we further demonstrate that at low salt concentrations, ion transport in nanochannels is governed by the surface charge.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.035901