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Title: Electrokinetic flow of an aqueous electrolyte in amorphous silica nanotubes

Journal Article · · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/c8cp03791d· OSTI ID:1543794

Here, we study the pressure-driven flow of aqueous NaCl in amorphous silica nanotubes using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations featuring both polarizable and non-polarizable molecular models. Different pressures, electrolyte concentrations and pore sizes are examined. Our results indicate a flow that deviates considerably from the predictions of Poiseuille fluid mechanics. Due to preferential adsorption of the different ionic species by surface SiO– or SiOH groups, we find that a significant electric current is generated, but with opposite polarities using polarizable vs. fixed charge models for water and ions, emphasizing the need for careful parameterization in such complex systems. We also examine the influence of partial deprotonation of the silica surface, and we find that much more current is generated in a dehydrogenated nanopore, even though the overall efficiency remains low. These findings indicate that different methods of nanopore preparation, which can produce a range of surface properties, should be examined more closely in the related experimental methods to generate electrokinetic current.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC); Univ. of California, Oakland, CA (United States); Virginia Commonwealth Univ., Richmond, VA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division; National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; SC0004406; OCI-1053575
OSTI ID:
1543794
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1481028
Journal Information:
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP, Vol. 20, Issue 44; ISSN 1463-9076
Publisher:
Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 17 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (3)

Interfacial reactions of Cu( ii ) adsorption and hydrolysis driven by nano-scale confinement journal January 2020
Anisotropic structure and dynamics of water under static electric fields journal February 2019
Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Influence of Lithium Bromide on the Structure of the Aqueous Solution–Air Interface journal January 2019

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