Work

Synergistic effects of confinement size and interface on anomalous ultrafast transport in nanofluidics

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Nanofluidics exhibits ultrafast transport, highly sensitive to confinement size and surface interactions. This transport behavior is particularly prominent in graphene nanoslits, but its molecular origin remains elusive. Here, we utilize machine learning-based molecular dynamics simulations with ab initio accuracy to probe water transport between graphene sheets. We find that interlayer distance (H)-dependent transport variations result from the competition between parallel transport and fluctuations perpendicular to sheet, a universal mechanism across various graphene surfaces, regardless of strain. At H ≤ 12.5 Å, large variations are dominated by the parallel transport of the interfacial layer, stemming from the distribution of severely undercoordinated “fast water”. At H > 12.5 Å, variations become subtler as increased intermediate water leads to more perpendicular fluctuations. Moreover, we demonstrate that reducing interfacial friction at specific confinement sizes can further enhance nanofluidic transport several times over. Our findings suggest an effective strategy for regulating nanofluidic transport.

Source: Communications Physics

DOI: 10.1038/s42005-025-02085-2

Authors: Weiwen Pu, Zhaoru Sun

Institution: ShanghaiTech University

Language: English

Topic: Nanopore and Nanochannel Transport Studies

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,990

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai Rising-Star Program