Issue 45, 2015

Rectification of nanopores in aprotic solvents – transport properties of nanopores with surface dipoles

Abstract

Nanopores have become a model system to understand transport properties at the nanoscale. We report experiments and modeling of ionic current in aprotic solvents with different dipole moments through conically shaped nanopores in a polycarbonate film and through glass nanopipettes. We focus on solutions of the salt LiClO4, which is of great importance in modeling lithium based batteries. Results presented suggest ion current rectification observed results from two effects: (i) adsorption of Li+ ions to the pore walls, and (ii) a finite dipole moment rendered by adsorbed solvent molecules. Properties of surfaces in various solvents were probed by means of scanning ion conductance microscopy, which confirmed existence of an effectively positive surface potential in aprotic solvents with high dipole moments.

Graphical abstract: Rectification of nanopores in aprotic solvents – transport properties of nanopores with surface dipoles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 Sep 2015
Accepted
21 Oct 2015
First published
22 Oct 2015

Nanoscale, 2015,7, 19080-19091

Author version available

Rectification of nanopores in aprotic solvents – transport properties of nanopores with surface dipoles

T. Plett, W. Shi, Y. Zeng, W. Mann, I. Vlassiouk, L. A. Baker and Z. S. Siwy, Nanoscale, 2015, 7, 19080 DOI: 10.1039/C5NR06340J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements