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Title: Ion selectivity of graphene nanopores

Journal Article · · Nature Communications
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11408· OSTI ID:1270966
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Physics
  2. Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (United States). School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
  3. Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Physics, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

As population growth continues to outpace development of water infrastructure in many countries, desalination (the removal of salts from seawater) at high energy efficiency will likely become a vital source of fresh water. Due to its atomic thinness combined with its mechanical strength, porous graphene may be particularly well-suited for electrodialysis desalination, in which ions are removed under an electric field via ion-selective pores. Here, we show that single graphene nanopores preferentially permit the passage of K+ cations over Cl- anions with selectivity ratios of over 100 and conduct monovalent cations up to 5 times more rapidly than divalent cations. Furthermore, the observed K+/Cl- selectivity persists in pores even as large as about 20 nm in diameter, suggesting that high throughput, highly selective graphene electrodialysis membranes can be fabricated without the need for subnanometer control over pore size.

Research Organization:
Harvard Univ. Cambridge, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); USDOE Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE); National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-06OR23100
OSTI ID:
1270966
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Vol. 7; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 324 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (51)

High-resolution label-free 3D mapping of extracellular pH of single living cells. text January 2019
Optimal design of graphene nanopores for seawater desalination journal January 2018
Fundamental transport mechanisms, fabrication and potential applications of nanoporous atomically thin membranes journal June 2017
A Highly Conductive Cationic Wood Membrane journal August 2019
Self‐Assembled Gold Arrays That Allow Rectification by Nanoscale Selectivity journal November 2019
Energetics and diffusion of liquid water and hydrated ions through nanopores in graphene: ab initio molecular dynamics simulation journal January 2017
Nanofluidic energy conversion and molecular separation through highly stable clay-based membranes journal January 2019
High-resolution label-free 3D mapping of extracellular pH of single living cells journal December 2019
High-performance silk-based hybrid membranes employed for osmotic energy conversion journal August 2019
Fabrication of multiple nanopores in a SiNx membrane via controlled breakdown journal January 2018
Interaction between a water drop and holey graphene: retarded imbibition and generation of novel water–graphene wetting states journal January 2017
Dielectric and optical properties of porous graphenes with uniform pore structures journal August 2019
Geometry modulation of ion diffusion through layered asymmetric graphene oxide membranes journal January 2019
2D materials as an emerging platform for nanopore-based power generation journal July 2019
Selective Nanoscale Mass Transport across Atomically Thin Single Crystalline Graphene Membranes journal March 2017
A general strategy to simulate osmotic energy conversion in multi-pore nanofluidic systems journal January 2018
Ion Transport through Perforated Graphene journal October 2018
A coupled effect of dehydration and electrostatic interactions on selective ion transport through charged nanochannels journal January 2018
Anti-fouling graphene-based membranes for effective water desalination journal February 2018
Charged nanoporous graphene membranes for water desalination journal January 2019
Designing an All-Carbon Membrane for Water Desalination journal August 2019
Facile Fabrication of Large-Area Atomically Thin Membranes by Direct Synthesis of Graphene with Nanoscale Porosity journal October 2018
Multifunctional wafer-scale graphene membranes for fast ultrafiltration and high permeation gas separation text January 2018
Lithography-based fabrication of nanopore arrays in freestanding SiN and graphene membranes journal February 2018
Tunable Anion-Selective Transport through Monolayer Graphene and Hexagonal Boron Nitride journal December 2019
Mechanically strong MXene/Kevlar nanofiber composite membranes as high-performance nanofluidic osmotic power generators journal July 2019
Nanoporous Atomically Thin Graphene Membranes for Desalting and Dialysis Applications journal June 2017
State-of-the-Art and Future Prospects for Atomically Thin Membranes from 2D Materials journal August 2018
Liquid flow-induced electricity in carbon nanomaterials journal January 2019
Size effect in ion transport through angstrom-scale slits text January 2017
Field-enhanced selectivity in nanoconfined ionic transport journal January 2020
High-resolution label-free 3D mapping of extracellular pH of single living cells text January 2019
Simulation of osmotic energy conversion in nanoporous materials: a concise single-pore model journal January 2018
Kinetic Ionic Permeation and Interfacial Doping of Supported Graphene journal November 2019
Using Smart Nanochannels as a Power Switch in Salinity Gradient Batteries journal July 2019
Exploring the pore charge dependence of K + and Cl permeation across a graphene monolayer: a molecular dynamics study journal January 2019
Polarization Induced Electro-Functionalization of Pore Walls: A Contactless Technology journal October 2019
Tunable sieving of ions using graphene oxide membranes journal April 2017
Solvation‐Involved Nanoionics: New Opportunities from 2D Nanomaterial Laminar Membranes journal December 2019
Atom‐Thick Membranes for Water Purification and Blue Energy Harvesting journal May 2019
Size effect in ion transport through angstrom-scale slits journal October 2017
High-resolution label-free 3D mapping of extracellular pH of single living cells. text January 2019
Designing an All-Carbon Membrane for Water Desalination text January 2019
Laminar Graphene Oxide Membranes Towards Selective Ionic and Molecular Separations: Challenges and Progress journal April 2020
Tuneable Sieving of Ions Using Graphene Oxide Membranes text January 2017
Rectification of protein translocation in truncated pyramidal nanopores journal October 2019
Molybdenum disulfide and water interaction parameters journal September 2017
Potential dependent ionic sieving through functionalized laminar MoS 2 membranes journal December 2019
On the Origin of Ion Selectivity in Ultrathin Nanopores: Insights for Membrane-Scale Osmotic Energy Conversion journal August 2018
Self‐Assembled Gold Arrays That Allow Rectification by Nanoscale Selectivity journal November 2019
Bottom-up synthesis of multifunctional nanoporous graphene journal April 2018