Ion Transport Enhancement in Nanofluidic Systems Using Counter-Charged Nanochannels: Insights from Simulations and Experiments*

In this study, we introduce a novel approach to enhance ion transport in nanofluidic systems using counter-charged nanochannels, where half of the channels are positively charged while the other half are negatively charged. The idea is illustrated through molecular dynamics simulations and experiments. Simulations reveal that the ionic current in the proposed system can be 5.8 times higher than that in conventional fluidic systems with uniformly charged channels. The enhancement stems from the separated transport of cations and anions in positively and negatively charged channels, respectively, due to a lower effective energy barrier for the ion transport. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of this approach. The findings presented in this research offer valuable insights for the optimization of various energy systems, including batteries and electrodes.