Project description
Contributing to the European excellence in nanoscale physics
Ionic liquids are a group of organic salts that are liquid at room temperature, and are obtained by the combination of organic cations and a variety of anions. The EU-funded ELNANO project aims to advance fundamental understanding of the physics of ionic fluid flow under confinement, with a focus on charge transport phenomena in nanochannels and nanopores. Moreover, the project will strongly contribute to the European excellence in nanoscale physics and also directly promote sustainable development by aiming to increase the efficiency of osmotic power and desalination applications.
Objective
The primary aim of the ELNANO project is to advance fundamental understanding of the physics of ionic fluid flow under confinement, with a focus on charge transport phenomena in nanochannels and nanopores. The second objective is to apply the insights gained to the rational design of nanochannels that perform specific functions. In particular, we will design nanochannels that efficiently harvest the energy contained in salinity gradients between river and sea water. Harvesting this so-called osmotic power or “blue energy” has recently seen a surge of interest that led to the construction of several pilot plants around the world. However, at present its applicability and further development is hampered by poor understanding of nanoscale transport. Our research will combine analytical and numerical methods to address pertinent questions of transport on the nanoscale beyond the current state of the art. Merging the recently refined boundary-integral description of electrostatics with explicit hydrodynamic simulations will enable, for the first time, an accurate and computationally efficient description of ionic flow on the nanoscale. In the process, the researcher will broaden his expertise by acquiring top-level training in electrodynamics and hydrodynamics of charge transport, which will complement his skill set and prepare him for an independent research career. Moreover, the project will strongly contribute to the European excellence in nanoscale physics and also directly promote sustainable development by aiming to increase the efficiency of osmotic power and desalination applications.
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
08007 Barcelona
Spain