Bridging the Gap between an Isolated Nanochannel/pore System and Communicating Multipore Heterogeneous Membrane System

TL;DR

This paper investigates how varying interchannel spacing in nanochannel arrays affects pore communication, revealing that increased isolation enhances current and high voltages induce electro-convective effects that modulate diffusion layer growth.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of pore-pore interactions in nanochannel arrays, bridging isolated and multi-pore membrane systems.

Findings

Increased channel isolation leads to current intensification.

High voltages induce electro-convective effects.

Pore communication is controlled by electro-convective suppression of diffusion layers.

Abstract

To bridge the gap between single/isolated pore systems to multi-pore systems, such as membranes/electrodes, we studied an array of nanochannels with varying interchannel spacing that controlled the degree of channel communication. Instead of treating them as individual channels connected in parallel or an assembly like a homogeneous membrane, this study resolves the pore-pore interaction. We found that increased channel isolation leads to current intensification whereas at high voltages electro-convective effects control the degree of communication via suppression of the diffusion layer growth