Transport of hydrogen isotopes through interlayer spacing in van der Waals crystals

Hu S, Gopinadhan K, Rakowski A, Neek-Amal M, Heine T, Grigorieva IV, Haigh SJ, Peeters FM, Geim AK, Lozada-Hidalgo M (2018)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2018

Journal

Nature Nanotechnology Nature Publishing Group

Book Volume: 13

Pages Range: 468-472

Journal Issue: 6

DOI: 10.1038/s41565-018-0088-0

Abstract

Atoms start behaving as waves rather than classical particles if confined in spaces commensurate with their de Broglie wavelength. At room temperature this length is only about one ångström even for the lightest atom, hydrogen. This restricts quantum-confinement phenomena for atomic species to the realm of very low temperatures 1-5. Here, we show that van der Waals gaps between atomic planes of layered crystals provide ångström-size channels that make quantum confinement of protons apparent even at room temperature. Our transport measurements show that thermal protons experience a notably higher barrier than deuterons when entering van der Waals gaps in hexagonal boron nitride and molybdenum disulfide. This is attributed to the difference in the de Broglie wavelengths of the isotopes. Once inside the crystals, transport of both isotopes can be described by classical diffusion, albeit with unexpectedly fast rates comparable to that of protons in water. The demonstrated ångström-size channels can be exploited for further studies of atomistic quantum confinement and, if the technology can be scaled up, for sieving hydrogen isotopes.

Involved external institutions

University of Manchester GB United Kingdom (GB) Universität Leipzig DE Germany (DE) University of Antwerp / Universiteit Antwerpen BE Belgium (BE)

How to cite

APA:

Hu, S., Gopinadhan, K., Rakowski, A., Neek-Amal, M., Heine, T., Grigorieva, I.V.,... Lozada-Hidalgo, M. (2018). Transport of hydrogen isotopes through interlayer spacing in van der Waals crystals. Nature Nanotechnology, 13(6), 468-472. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-018-0088-0

MLA:

Hu, S., et al. "Transport of hydrogen isotopes through interlayer spacing in van der Waals crystals." Nature Nanotechnology 13.6 (2018): 468-472.

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