Dynamic Ions under Nano-Confinement for Porous Membranes with Ultrafast Gas Permeation Control

Introduction

Transport phenomena of molecules and ions inside porous materials are paramount in various fields, ranging from energy storage and transformation to molecular separation. In advanced energy storage devices, like supercapacitors and batteries, ions are confined in small pores.

Importance of Nanoconfinement

Nanoconfinement effects change the ion properties and enhance the performance, vital for saving resources and energy. So far, the static properties of nanoconfined ions are thoroughly studied, but there is little known about the dynamic properties of ions in nanopores, mainly attributed to the lack of suitable experimental model systems.

Project Overview

In DYONCON, the dynamic properties of nanoconfined ions will be explored by using well-defined, tunable model systems. This is realized by combining two exclusive material classes:

1. Ionic liquids (ILs), which are room-temperature molten salts of organic molecules.
2. Films of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which provide the variable, crystalline, scaffold-like container for the ion confinement.

An applied electric field will act on the nanoconfined ILs, causing their directed movements. Controlling the dynamic properties of the nanoconfined ions will lead to myriad advances in safety and efficiency concerns, including enhanced charging rates of energy storage devices.

Innovative Approach

In a radical new approach, DYONCON will also show that nanoconfined ions provide unprecedented functionalities. Based on the functional uniformity of IL@MOF membranes, the nano-level control of the confined ions will be used to regulate macroscopic gas fluxes with ultrafast switching rates, orders of magnitude faster than conventional gas valves.

Goals and Impact

DYONCON aims to enhance the potentials of electrochemical technologies in:

• Energy storage
• Sensors
• Iontronics

The benefits of DYONCON will not only impact the improvement of speed, quality, and control in existing technologies, but it will change the way we look at mobile confined ions and launch us into new methods of using nanomaterials.