Tuning transport properties of nanofluidic devices with local charge inversion

Yan He, Dirk Gillespie, Dezsö Boda, Ivan Vlassiouk, Robert S. Eisenberg, Zuzanna S. Siwy

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

248 Scopus citations

Abstract

Nanotubes can selectively conduct ions across membranes to make ionic devices with transport characteristics similar to biological ion channels and semiconductor electron devices. Depending on the surface charge profile of the nanopore, ohmic resistors, rectifiers, and diodes can be made. Here we show that a uniformly charged conical nanopore can have all these transport properties by changing the ion species and their concentrations on each side of the membrane. Moreover, the cation versus anion selectivity of the pores can be changed. We find that polyvalent cations like Ca 2+ and the trivalent cobalt sepulchrate produce localized charge inversion to change the effective pore surface charge profile from negative to positive. These effects are reversible so that the transport and selectivity characteristics of ionic devices can be tuned, much as the gate voltage tunes the properties of a semiconductor.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5194-5202
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society
Volume131
Issue number14
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 15 2009
Externally publishedYes

Funding

FundersFunder number
National Institute of General Medical SciencesR01GM076013

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