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SUMMARY:Transport and nanoconfinement effects inside van der Waals nanocapi
 llaries
DESCRIPTION:Join the Department of Physics for a seminar entitled ‘Transp
 ort and nanoconfinement effects inside van der Waals nanocapillaries’ wi
 th Dr Qian Yang\, Royal Society University Research Fellow at the Universi
 ty of Manchester. \nAbstract\nIsolated 2D crystals can be assembled into 
 designer structures layer-by-atomic-layer in a precisely chosen sequence u
 sing van der Waals (vdW) technology. Using this method\, we have demonstra
 ted the creation of two-dimensional capillaries (Figure 1) by assembling 2
 D crystals [1]. This technology offers the smallest possible empty spaces 
 that can vary from just a few angstroms in height up to tens of nanometers
  on demand. On this basis\, the transport of water and ionic species insid
 e capillaries were investigated\, offering better understanding of molecul
 e-capillary interactions under confinement. We report quantized water fill
 ing\, where water enters the nanocapillaries layer-by-layer\, directly rev
 ealing its discrete molecular nature under strong confinement [2]. We also
  found that the capillary wall rigidity determines the filling dynamics 
 – the filling transition from layer-by-layer to an abrupt manner with in
 creasing wall rigidity. Recently\, a more efficient method to fabricate th
 ese nanocapillaries was developed\, which broadens their adoption in the c
 ommunity and opens research opportunities in nanofluidics\, membrane scien
 ce and chemistry [3].\nBeyond artificial nanocapillaries\, we also explore
 d nanoconfined water in naturally structured 2D systems\, including gypsum
  crystals [4] and the graphene-water interface [5]. Our results resolve th
 e molecular-scale structure\, dynamics\, and electrochemical environment o
 f confined water and ions\, and provide actionable principles for separati
 on science\, sensing technologies\, and the design of next-generation nano
 fluidic systems.\nReference:\n[1] Yang et al\, Nature 588\, 250–253 (202
 0) \n[2] Chen et al\, arXiv preprint arXiv: 2604.07946 (2026)\n[3] Zhang e
 t al\, arXiv preprint. arXiv:2511.18480 (2025)\n[4] Wang et al\, Nat. Comm
 un. 16\, 3447 (2025)\n[5] Chen et al\, Nano Lett. 25\, 9427–9432 (2025)\
 nBiography\nDr Qian Yang is a Senior Research Fellow\, Royal Society Unive
 rsity Research Fellow at the Department of Physics and Astronomy\, the Uni
 versity of Manchester\, UK. She received her PhD in Material Science and E
 ngineering in 2018. Her research focused on the mass transport in two-dime
 nsional (2D) nanocapillaries\, confinement effects on molecular behaviours
 \, nanofluidics and other electrokinetic phenomena. She is currently also 
 the Academic Theme Lead for Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre (GE
 IC)\, supporting industrial translation of graphene and 2D materials relat
 ed products. She is the recipient of the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowshi
 p (2019)\, Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw Fellowship (2021)\, Royal Society Uni
 versity Research Fellowship (2022) and the European Research Council Star
 ting Grant (2022). 
URL:https://www.imperial.ac.uk/events/208917/transport-and-nanoconfinement-
 effects-inside-van-der-waals-nanocapillaries/
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260508T130000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260508T140000
LOCATION:Blackett 741\, Blackett Building\, South Kensington Campus\, Imper
 ial College London\, London\, SW7 2AZ\, United Kingdom
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