Reversible Pore Gating in Aqueous Mixtures via External Potential

Abstract

We examine theoretically porous membranes in aqueous mixtures. We show that large membrane pores can be reversibly gated from `off' (co-solvent-rich, poor conductor of ions and other solutes) to 'on' (water-rich, good conductor) states by an external potential. The transition voltage or charge for switching depends on the membrane hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, the salt content, the preferential solvation of the salt ions, and the temperature. These parameters also determine whether the filling transition is abrupt or gradual.

6 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (3)

• Phase-separation in ion-containing mixtures in electric fields
• Salt-induced changes of colloidal interactions in critical mixtures
• Local theory for ions in binary liquid mixtures

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Solvo-osmotic flow in electrolytic mixtures
• Isothermal transport of a near-critical binary fluid mixture through a capillary tube with the preferential adsorption
• Recent advances in liquid mixtures in electric fields
• Electrolubrication in liquid mixtures between two parallel plates
• Electrolubrication in flowing liquid mixtures
• Phase lines in mean-field models with nonuniform external forces