Modulation of ion transport in a liquid by application of an electric potential on a mesoporous carbon membrane

Patent · Tue Aug 27 04:00:00 EDT 2019

OSTI ID:1576366

Dai, Sheng; Mahurin, Shannon Mark; Wang, Xiqing; Surwade, Sumedh Pradeep; Vlassiouk, Ivan

A method for regulating ion transport between first and second regions of a liquid solution containing ionic species in at least one of said first and second regions, the method comprising applying a voltage on an electrically conductive mesoporous carbon membrane situated between said first and second regions of the liquid solution, wherein liquid flow between first and second regions is permitted only through said mesoporous carbon membrane, and the applied voltage is selected to modulate the degree of ion transport between said first and second regions, wherein an increase in applied voltage results in a reduction in the degree of ion transport between said first and second regions, optionally up to a critical voltage at which ion transport ceases.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge, TN)
• Patent Number(s): 10,392,272
• Application Number: 14/633,412
• OSTI ID: 1576366
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English