QCNGas · Quantum Conductance of Neutral Gas Molecules
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2020-08-01 → 2022-07-31
- EU contribution
- €212,934
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Quantum Conductance of Neutral Gas Molecules
In the era of nanofluidics with rapid advancements in fabricating nanoscale devices, understanding and exploiting molecular flow transport properties under nanoscale confinements become extremely essential. The trade-off feature (known as Robeson limit) between gas permeability and selectivity are being explored extensively for nanoporous membranes. With respect to that, 2D-membranes are of interests compared to their three-dimensional counterpart in exploration of novel materials which could perform beyond Robeson limit or provide better trade-off boundary. Therefore, graphdiyne (GDY) nanoporous membranes (90 nm thickness) with intrinsic pores have been studied to show that the unexpected fast permeation combined with selective gas transport through graphdiyne provide a better permeability-selectivity trade-off compare to that of state-of-art membranes, beyond the existing bounds. Our study provides a feedback on the extensive theoretical simulations of molecule sieving through graphdiyne with intrinsic lattice pores in angstrom scale. Despite being nearly a hundred of nanometers thick, the membranes allow fast, Knudsen-type permeation of light gases such as helium and hydrogen whereas heavy noble gases like xenon exhibit strongly suppressed flow. From the fundamental point of view, it is intriguing to explore quantum-limited conductance (similar to mesoscopic physics for electrons) of neutral gas molecules through such tight nanopores in the mesoscopic regime at low temperature down to 10-30K.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
We propose to design a new insert with a sample-holder and investigate quantum aspects of flow (gas) conductance as a function of temperature (T) down to 4K by exploiting de Broglie wavelength for neutral helium (He) atoms through an atomically-flat rectangular graphene nanochannel in a molecular flow regime. By confining the vertical length of the transport channel and tuning the associated de Broglie wavelength (with T), the realization of the quantum limited conductance for He gas flow, similar to the observed quantum signatures of conductance for electrons, seems to be truly within the experimental reach. The behaviour of the wall switches over to more rigid (lowering atomic vibrations) from flexible one at room T which not only enhances the specular reflection but also the phase coherence of the associated de Broglie wavelength. We will investigate the transport properties using layered materials from transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) family to induce ballistic transport from the diffusive transport regime at room T via Laser-irradiation and chemical roots which will heal the defects in TMDs at atomic scale. Our investigations will help in search of more materials to have the ballistic transport around room T. Our focus will not only be on the enhanced flow due to quantum effects but also the understanding from fundamental physics point of view as well as exploring in broader perspective. The strategy of the project is to design a setup for low-T, making state-of-the-art devices, investigate the quantum signatures of conductance of nanoscale channels and address various important issues. Completion of the multidisciplinary project will open up a new era where various novel intriguing physics need to be explored further, understanding of quantum gas transport will boost many biomedical and industrial applications, next generation devices using gas sensors and properties of thermal transport exploited to extract heat will be tuned with enhanced performance.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER · ManchesterCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union