Active Ionic Fluxes Induce Symmetry Breaking in Charge-Patterned Nanochannels

Biological systems rely on autonomous modes of charge transport to transmit signals, whereas conventional artificial systems typically depend on external fields—such as voltage or pressure gradients—limiting their adaptability. Here we investigate nanochannels in which an electrolyte is confined by symmetric boundary configurations combining patterned surface charge with active ionic fluxes. We show that the interplay between diffusive, electrostatic and hydrodynamic interactions in such active-charged nanosystems can trigger a symmetry breaking as the activity increases. Our results suggest that active-charged nanochannels could amplify directed flows up to the order of meters per second, opening pathways toward adaptable iontronic devices and neuromorphic architectures.