An Experimental Scheme for Testing Molecular Rectification with Only Micrometer-Scale Fabrication Requirements

Abstract

In our previous work, we proposed a theoretical model capable of inducing sustained directed transport without consuming information or external energy. However, the experimental verification schemes proposed previously were technically challenging, and the model has therefore not yet been experimentally tested. In this work, we propose a greatly simplified experimental design. By introducing hydrophilic functional groups onto the tip of a gold needle through surface modification and pressing the needle against one of two liquid-vapor interfaces, the compressed interface is maintained at a higher ionic concentration than the other interface, thereby sustaining a concentration difference between them. This design reduces the fabrication requirement from the nanometer scale to the micrometer scale, substantially lowering experimental complexity and facilitating experimental examination of the proposed mechanism.