Mitigating Joule heating in smart nanochannels: Evaluating the efficacy of AC vs. DC fields

This study delves into the profound implications of different electric field types, namely DC and AC with a sinusoidal waveform, on ion transport within intelligent soft nanochannels, aiming to mitigate Joule heating effects. The investigation considers temperature- and concentration-dependent properties and explores their impact on ionic selectivity, rectification factor, Joule heating, and viscosity dissipation in conical soft nanochannels. Operating in both co-current and counter-current modes, the study accounts for the nanochannel's coating with a dense and strongly negatively charged polyelectrolyte layer, addressing the ionic partitioning effect. Numerically solving the Poisson-Nernst-Planck, Navier-Stokes, and energy equations, the study reveals a significant alignment of Joule heating and viscosity dissipation with ionic current, emphasizing the influence of concentration and temperature ratios. Notably, the bidirectional AC field demonstrates a remarkable 85.51% and 71.72% reduction in Joule heating in co-current and counter-current modes, respectively, compared to DC. These findings highlight the significant impact of the AC field on thermal dynamics within nanochannels. In summary, our study offers essential insights into optimizing nanofluidic systems by effectively balancing ion transport efficiency and thermal effects across various electrical field scenarios. These findings directly address the critical challenge of managing Joule heating in intelligent nanochannels, which is essential for enhancing the performance of lab-on-a-chip devices in sensitive biomedical applications.