The Effect of pH on the Mobility of Dopamine Ion Transport Through Carbon Nanotubes

Jacqueline Allen

OAI: oai:digitalcommons.ursinus.edu:chem_sum-1081

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the transport of dopamine ions through single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). During the experiment, voltages were applied to the dopamine solution to encourage movement through the nanotube while the current was monitored for pore blocking events. The pore-blocking events were analyzed to determine the average time the ions were traveling though the nanotube. From that data, the mobility, (µ) of the ions was determined using solutions with four different hydrogen ion concentrations, [H+]. The data collected for dopamine ion transport showed that the mobility was not dependent on the hydrogen ion concentration. This result differed from previous studies using choline chloride and sodium chloride at various pH levels which determined that as hydrogen ion concentration increased, the mobility increased. We hypothesize that this difference is due to the larger size of the dopamine ion compared to the previous ions tested.

Carbon nanotubes Dopamine Ion Transport pH Chemistry Physical Sciences and Mathematics