The Influence of Divalent Anions on the Rectification Properties of Nanofluidic Diodes: Insights from Experiments and Theoretical Simulations

PEREZ MITTA, GONZALO; ALBESA, ALBERTO G;; MARÍA EUGENIA TOIMIL-MOLARES; CHRISTINA TRAUTMANN; AZZARONI, OMAR

Chemphyschem

WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH

Lugar: Weinheim; Año: 2016

1439-4235

During the last decade, the very possibility of generating synthetic nanoarchitectureswith functionalities comparable to biological entities has sparkedthe interest of the scientific community related to diverse research fields.In this context, gaining fundamental understandingof the central features that determine the rectifying characteristics of the conical nanopores is of mandatory importance.In this work, we analyze the influence of mono-and divalent salts in the ionic current transported by asymmetric nanoporesand focus our attention on the delicate interplay between ion exclusion and charge screening effects that govern the functional response of the nanofluidic device.Experiments were performed using KCl and K2SO4as representative speciesof single and double charged species. Results showed that higher currents and rectification efficiencies are achieved by double charged salts.In order to understand the physicochemical processes underlying these effects simulations using the Poisson-Nernst-Planck formalism were performed.We consider that our theoretical and experimental account of the effect of divalent anions in the functional response ofnanofluidic diodes provides further insights into the critical role of electrostatic interactions (ion exclusion versus charge screening effects) in presetting the ionic selectivity to anions as well asthe observed rectification properties of these chemicalnanodevices The Influence of Divalent Anions on the Rectification Properties of Nanofluidic Diodes: Insights from Experiments and Theoretical Simulations. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303739471_The_Influence_of_Divalent_Anions_on_the_Rectification_Properties_of_Nanofluidic_Diodes_Insights_from_Experiments_and_Theoretical_Simulations [accessed Jun 16, 2016].