Surface-charge-induced asymmetric electrokinetic transport in confined silicon nanochannels

Molecular dynamics simulations of a NaF solution transport in a confined silicon nanochannel indicated that the water flux and the ionic conductivity through two oppositely charged silicon channels, that are otherwise similar, differ by a factor of more than three, and the co-ion fluxes are in the opposite direction. Such a behavior cannot be predicted by the classical electrokinetic transport theory, and is found to originate from the asymmetric dependence of the transport properties of water near the charged silicon surface.