Ionic selectivity of single nanochannels

Ivan Vlassiouk, Sergei Smirnov, Zuzanna Siwyt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

416 Scopus citations

Abstract

There has been an increasing interest in single nanochannel ionic devices, such as ionic filters that control the type of transported ions and ionic diodes that rectify the ionic flow. In this article, we theoretically investigate the importance of the dimensions, surface charge, electrolyte concentration, and applied bias on nanopore performance. We compare numerical solutions of the Poisson, Nernst-Planck (PNP), and Navier-Stokes (NS) equations with their one-dimensional, analytical approximations. We show that by decreasing the length of the nanopore, the ionic current and ionic selectivity become affected by processes outside the nanochannel. The contribution of electroosmosis is noticeable, especially for highly charged nanochannels, but is insignificant, justifying the use of the simple one-dimensional approximation in many cases. Estimates for the critical electric field at which the nanopore selectivity decreases and the ion current starts to saturate are provided.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1978-1985
Number of pages8
JournalNano Letters
Volume8
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2008
Externally publishedYes

Funding

FundersFunder number
National Institute of General Medical SciencesS06GM008136

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