GraFludicDevices · Realization of water permeation kinetics in two-dimensional nanocapillaries to develop desalination and energy harvesting membranes
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2019-04-01 → 2021-03-31
- EU contribution
- €196,708
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
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Results in brief
Realization of water permeation kinetics in two-dimensional nanocapillaries to develop desalination and energy harvesting membranes
Often, enhanced water and ion transport in nano-conduits made of carbon nanomaterials is attributed to the slippage effects. For example, despite the presence of defects and oxygen functionalities in monolayer graphene oxide (GO) sheets, the reported fast water permeation in GO membranes is usually attributed to the slip enhanced flow of water molecules in pristine graphene capillaries exist in interlayer nanochannels. However, an extensive and systematic direct experimental demonstration is still required to validate and establish the slippage effects on water/ion transport in nanochannels made of carbon nanomaterials. This project addresses this issue to obtain a complete mechanistic understanding of molecular transport through two-dimensional (2D) carbon nanochannels which will be significant step-forward for rational design of GO and GO-like layer-by-layer membranes for energy and environmental applications. Research objectives of this Marie - Curie Fellowship project are as follows: 1) Fabrication of single and multi nanochannel devices using van der Waals (vdW) assembly of different 2D layered crystals including graphite and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) 2) Optimization of fluorescence-based flow measurement method and, performing experiments on nanofluidic devices with single and multi-channel devices for exploration of slip-enhanced flow in 2D capillaries 3) Fabrication of nanochannel devices with functional channel wall surface for rationalization of slip and surface charge effects on molecular transport and, for harvesting osmotic energy from salinity gradients
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Exploration of molecular transport in nanometre (nm) and sub-nm capillaries has big implications in the emergence of novel nanofluidic phenomena with interesting applications, including desalination, water purification, energy harvesting and smart membrane technologies. Recent advances in graphene and other two-dimensional (2D) materials based membranes with interlayer gallery of nanochannels have witnessed high water-ion selectivity and fast water permeation—manifesting their potential for desalination and smart membrane applications. However, a systematic and extensive experimental investigation of water permeation kinetics, including the demonstration of slip effects, in these atomically smooth 2D nanochannels is still lacking. Therefore, the main objective of the current research proposal is to gain a complete mechanistic understanding of water transport in nanochannels made of different 2D materials, which is crucial for the rational design of functional membranes for energy and environmental applications. This will be achieved by employing the state-of-the-art fabrication and experimental techniques based on van der Waals assembly, Landau-Squire flow measurement set-up and ultrasonic force microscopy. In this project, atomically smooth angstrom-scale 2D nanochannel devices will be prepared to investigate the flow dynamics of water using a custom-made ultrasensitive flow measurement technique. Throughout the project, advanced modelling techniques will be utilized to fundamentally understand transport and further optimize the system. Building on these findings, a scale-up methodology will be developed for the large-scale production of membranes for desalination and energy harvesting applications. The proposed research action will address Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges related to water security and resource efficiency while advancing the field of nanofluidics and membrane technology through the development of new fabrication and flow measurement methods.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS · ParisCoordinatorFrance
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union