Fabrication and Rectification Studies of Serial/Parallel Composite Nanofluidic Diode Based on Hierarchically Branched Alumina Nanochannels†

doi:10.7503/cjcu20180701

Abstract

Abstract:

Based on hierarchically branched alumina nanochannels, a serial/parallel composite nanofluidic diode system with experimentally adjustable ion rectification characteristics was fabricated. Using a simple anodization method, we fabricated four two-generation branched alumina nanochannels with 1-2-2, 1-2-3, 1-3-2 and 1-3-3 geometric structures. Among them, if we view each branch node as a diode, its first branch node will be equivalent to one series diode, and its second branch node will be equivalent to multiple parallel diodes. In this case, the circuits of the branched alumina nanochannels with 1-2-2 and 1-2-3 geometric structures are regarded as two parallel diodes and then the third diode in series. Similarly, the ones with 1-3-2 and 1-3-3 geometric structures are considered as three parallel diodes and then connected in series with the fourth diode. However, considering different structures and numbers of the secondary branches of the 1-2-2 and 1-2-3 alumina nanochannels as well as the 1-3-2 and 1-3-3 alumina nanochannels, the four branched alumina nanochannels will ultimately be classified into four nanofluidic diodes with serial/parallel composite characteristic. Accordingly, benefiting from cooperative asymmetry of the first-branched and the second-branched geometries, which affects the surface-charge distribution on inner walls, the branched alumina nanochannels with 1-2-2, 1-2-3, 1-3-2 and 1-3-3 structures exhibit gradually enhanced ionic rectification properties. Further, the rectification ratios of the representative 1-1-2 branched alumina nanochannels increase as the length of the branch channel increases. This indicates that the branch part with stronger ion selectivity plays a decisive role in the rectification characteristics of the entire series/parallel composite nanofluidic diode system. Compared with the previous single ion diode system, this serial/parallel composite nanofluidic diode with geometry-tailorable hierarchically branched alumina nanochannels could not only provide a basic platform to build ionic diode circuitry and more complex nanofluidic devices, but also spark further efforts to simulate the smart ion transport processes of multiple-channel with sparallel/serial mode in living bodies.

Key words: Hierarchically branched alumina nanochannel, Composite series/parallel characteristic, Nanofluidic diode, Ionic rectification

CLC Number:

O647

TrendMD:

ZHANG Dan,HOU Shengnan,LIU You,FAN Xia. Fabrication and Rectification Studies of Serial/Parallel Composite Nanofluidic Diode Based on Hierarchically Branched Alumina Nanochannels^†[J]. Chem. J. Chinese Universities, 2019, 40(5): 1019.

Figures/Tables 9

Fig.1 Schematic illustration for detection of ionic transport properties of two-generation branched alumina nanochannels with serial/parallel composite circuit characteristicsThe right figure in the dotted box is a schematic diagram of a representative single channel structure in the porous branched alumina nanochannels with 1-2-2 geometric structures.

Fig.2 Schematic diagram(left) and equivalent circuit component(right) of four kinds of representative single nanochannel belonging to the porous two-generation branched Al2O3 nanochannels with 1-2-2(A), 1-2-3(B), 1-3-2(C) and 1-3-3(D) geometric structures

Fig.3 SEM images of the cross-section(A1—D1), the first-generation(A2—D2) and second-generation(A3—D3) branched section and final opening ends(A4—D4) of four kinds of alumina nanochannels(A1—A4) 1-2-2; (B1—B4) 1-2-3; (C1—C4) 1-3-2; (D1—D4) 1-3-3.

Fig.4 SEM images of the primary opening ends of four kinds of porous alumina nanochannels at low(A) and high(B) resolution

Fig.5 Schematic illustration of pore diameters of the stem channels, first- and second-generation branched channels of porous alumina nanochannels

Fig.6 I-V properties(A) and ionic rectification ratios at ± 0.2 V(B) of two-generation branched alumina nanochannels with 1-2-2, 1-2-3, 1-3-2 and 1-3-3 geometric structures in 0.1 mmol/L KCl solution at pH=9.5

Fig.7 Schematic diagrams of representative single nanochannel in 1-2-2 branched alumina nanochannels with the total thickness of 30 μm(A) and 60 μm(B) of which stem length/branch length(Ds/Db) is about 2∶1(C), 1∶1(D) and 1∶2(E), respectively

Fig.8 Cross-sectional SEM images of 1-2-2 branched alumina nanochannels with the total thickness of 30 μm(A1—C1) and 60 μm(A2—C2)Stem length/branch length(Ds/Db): (A1, A2) 2∶1; (B1, B2) 1∶1; (C1, C2) 1∶2.

Fig.9 I-V properties of 1-2-2 branched alumina nanochannels with the total thickness of 30 μm(A) and 60 μm(B), and the corresponding ionic rectification ratios(C)

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