Nanofluidic behavior on potassium chloride solution in zeolite Y
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Nanofluidic behavior on potassium chloride solution in zeolite Y Yu Qiao1, Xi Chen2, and Aijie Han3 1
Department of Structural Engineering, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A. 2
Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, U.S.A. 3
Department of Chemistry, University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, TX 78539, U.S.A.
ABSTRACT Nanofluidic behavior has been an active area of research for the past decade. In addition to modifying nanopore size and surface properties, another important way to adjust system performance is to control the liquid composition. In the current study, we investigate the influence of electrolyte concentration on the infiltration behavior, as well as its dependence on temperature. A hydrophilic zeolite Y can be soaked in pure water, while with the addition of an electrolyte it can’t be soaked spontaneously. It is noticed that the effective solid–liquid interfacial tension in nanopores is highly sensitive to the electrolyte concentration, which may be related to the unique confinement environment in nanoporous material. As a result, with the electrolyte concentration varying, the effective interfacial tension changes rapidly. This phenomenon can be attributed to the amplification effect of nanopore surfaces on the solid–liquid interaction. It provides a scientific basis for developing smart liquids for various temperature and pressure ranges. INTRODUCTION Nanofluidic behavior has been an important research topic for more than a decade [1,2]. The studies in this area have been immensely useful to developing better techniques for drug delivery, biosensing, micro/nano-transportation, micro/nano-fabrication, etc [3-6]. The liquid behaviors in nanopres can be very different from that in large channels, which shed much light on fundamental mechanisms governing solid-liquid interactions at small length and time scales. It is still under investigation that the tissue fluid behaviors, e.g. the electrolytes Na+, K+ cations balance in the cells under external pressure, and under elevated temperature. The nanoporous materials have been widely applied in chemistry, biology, and energy related areas [7-9], especially some bio-compatible nanoporous materials functioning as artificial membrane or cells. Recently their applicability in mechanical systems, particularly intelligent systems, received increasing attention [10]. Zeolites are microporous materials with excellent bio-compatibility which are widely used in industry for water purification, as catalysts, and in nuclear reprocessing, agriculture, medical, and so on [11-14]. In particular, zeolites are used for biochemical and biomedical applications, such as detoxicants and decontaminants, vaccine adjuvants and antibacterial agents, for delayed drug release, in hemodialysis, and in the treatment of diabetes mellitus [15]. One major issue of the fluidic behaviors in nanoenvironment is the possible hysteresis of sorption isotherm. A non-wetting liquid can be compressed into a porous s
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