Ionic Conductivity in Nanopipettes: Experiment and Model
Abstract
This study presents original research on ion transport in glass nanopipettes (NPs) with apertures diameters in the range of (80-100) nm in a 1x PBS solution, combining experimental and theoretical approaches. We report the application of the Poisson-Nernst-Planck-Navier-Stokes (PNP-NS) model, which accounts for electroosmotic flow, electrophoretic effect and relaxation effect caused by interionic interactions. The model demonstrates good agreement with experimental voltampere (I(V)) characteristics. Fitting the calculated I(V) dependence to the experimentally measured one allows us to determine the sizes of the NPs apertures, which correlate with an error of 10% with direct measurements performed by a transmission electron microscope, while the ICR coefficients calculated from the model I(V) characteristics correlate with the ICR coefficients calculated from the experimental data with an error of 4%. The simulation also identifies unique spatial distributions of electrolyte velocities within the NP aperture, directly linked to electroosmotic flow and nanopipette geometry. These findings contribute novel insights into the behavior of ion transport at the nanoscale.
About the Author
Stanislav Yurievich LukashenkoRussian Federation
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Review
For citations:
Lukashenko S.Yu. Ionic Conductivity in Nanopipettes: Experiment and Model. Nanosystems: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics. 2025;16(4).
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