Thermal effects on infiltration of a solubility-sensitive volume-memory liquid

Abstract

As the ion density at a solid–liquid interface changes, the interfacial tension varies accordingly, which can lead to a large energy density output, particularly when amplified by the high specific surface area of a nanoporous material. This concept is validated by the results of a controlled-temperature infiltration experiment on a hydrophobic zeolite immersed in a saturated aqueous solution of sodium acetate. As the temperature changes, the sodium acetate concentration varies significantly, which in turn causes a variation in infiltration pressure. Since the infiltration and defiltration are reversible, under the working pressure, this system exhibits a volume memory characteristic, with a non-monotonic temperature–volume relationship.