Evidence of Ion Transport through Surface Conduction in Alkylsilane-Functionalized Nanoporous Ceramic Membranes

Alkylsilane-modified nanoporous ceramic membranes exclude water from their pores yet exhibit transmembrane electrical conductivity in aqueous electrolyte solutions. That effect was studied using impedance spectroscopy and 29Si NMR. Anodic aluminum oxide membranes with alkylsilane-functionalized pores exhibited a transmembrane electrical resistance that increased with the length of the hydrocarbon chain. Microstructural studies revealed that the conduction was due primarily to a small number of “hydrophilically defective” pores in membranes modified by long-chain alkylsilanes and both hydrophilic defects and surface conduction in pores modified by short-chain alkylsilanes. Hydroxyl groups in short-chain alkylsilane layers act as “water wires” to enable surface ion transport. The local concentration of hydroxyl groups decreased with alkylsilane chain length, explaining the resistance trend. This constitutes the first direct evidence that alkylsilane functionalization affects electrical as well as wetting properties.