title: Cooperative effect of pH-dependent ion transport within two symmetric-structured nanochannels.
abstract: A novel and simple design is introduced to construct bichannel nanofluid diodes by combining two poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films with columnar nanochannel arrays varying in size or in surface charge. This type of bichannel device performs obvious ion current rectification, and the pH-dependent tunability and degree of rectification can be improved by histidine modification. The origin of the ion current rectification and its pH-dependent tunability are attributed to the cooperative effect of the two columnar half-channels and the applied bias on the mobile ions. As a result of surface groups on the bichannel being charged with different polarities or degrees at different pH values, the function of the bichannel device can be converted from a nanofluid diode to a normal nanochannel or to a reverse diode.
authors: Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, P. R. China.
authors: Zheyi
authors: Z
authors: Meng
authors: Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, P. R. China.
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Chen
authors: Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, P. R. China.
authors: Xiulin
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, P. R. China.
authors: Yanglei
authors: Y
authors: Xu
authors: Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, P. R. China.
authors: Jin
authors: J
authors: Zhai
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D017136:Ion Transport; D008422:Materials Testing; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates / Q000737:chemistry*; D012666:Semiconductors
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates
keywords: PET film; bichannel device; biomimetics; columnar nanochannel; ion transport; nanofluid diode