IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v8y2017i1d10.1038_ncomms15154.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Ion-specific ice recrystallization provides a facile approach for the fabrication of porous materials

Author

Listed:
  • Shuwang Wu

    (Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Chongqin Zhu

    (University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology)

  • Zhiyuan He

    (Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Han Xue

    (Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Qingrui Fan

    (Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yanlin Song

    (Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Joseph S. Francisco

    (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

  • Xiao Cheng Zeng

    (University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology)

  • Jianjun Wang

    (Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Ice recrystallization is of great importance to both fundamental research and practical applications, however understanding and controlling ice recrystallization processes remains challenging. Here, we report the discovery of an ion-specific effect on ice recrystallization. By simply changing the initial type and concentration of ions in an aqueous solution, the size of ice grains after recrystallization can be tuned from 27.4±4.1 to 277.5±30.9 μm. Molecular dynamics simulations show that the ability of the ion to be incorporated into the ice phase plays a key role in the ultimate size of the ice grains after recrystallization. Moreover, by using recrystallized ice crystals as templates, 2D and 3D porous networks with tuneable pore sizes could be prepared from various materials, for example, NaBr, collagen, quantum dots, silver and polystyrene colloids. These porous materials are suitable for a wide range of applications, for example, in organic electronics, catalysis and bioengineering.

Suggested Citation

  • Shuwang Wu & Chongqin Zhu & Zhiyuan He & Han Xue & Qingrui Fan & Yanlin Song & Joseph S. Francisco & Xiao Cheng Zeng & Jianjun Wang, 2017. "Ion-specific ice recrystallization provides a facile approach for the fabrication of porous materials," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-8, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15154
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15154
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15154
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms15154?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15154. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.