Tip-effect-driven field enhancement and faster mass transport and their advanced applications

Abstract

The tip effect refers to the phenomenon where sharper regions of an object experience greater forces, resulting in stronger physical effects (force, velocity, heat, light, electricity, magnetism). As an important physical phenomenon, the tip effect demonstrates unique advantages in nanotechnology, catalysis, micro-fluidics, and micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS). The review investigates the formation mechanisms of tip-enhanced electric field effect, including the lightning rod effect and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Through multiscale simulations and experimental characterizations, the study examines how tip geometry and material properties influence electric field enhancement. Furthermore, it explores the synergetic enhancement between electric and thermal fields and their applications in high-resolution displays, resistive random-access memory (RRAM) and antimicrobial technologies. Then, this review focuses on tip-enhanced faster mass transport effect, explaining how tip structures accelerate ion transport and regulate fluid behavior through geometric confinement and localized electric field enhancement. Applications include zinc-air batteries, solar-driven seawater desalination, and ultrafast rectified transport. Finally, the review provides perspectives on future research directions in the tip effect from theoretical, industrial manufacturing, and interdisciplinary integration viewpoints. This review would provide a solid foundation for further development and application of the tip effect.