Modified infiltration of solvated ions and ionic liquid in a nanoporous carbon

Infiltration of ions in a nanoporous carbon is responsive to the external electric field. If the liquid phase is an aqueous solution of electrolyte, the effective solid-liquid interfacial tension decreases as the voltage rises, similar to the electrowetting phenomenon at a large graphite surface. If the liquid phase is an ionic liquid, however, the effective interfacial tension increases with the voltage. The accessible nanopore volume is not dependent on the electric field. The unique phenomena should be related to the confinement effects of the nanopore inner surfaces.