Low-cost 2D nanochannels as biomimetic salinity- and heat-gradient power generators. (1st December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xiao, Tianliang; Li, Xuejiang; Liu, Zhaoyue; Lu, Bingxin; Zhai, Jin; Diao, Xungang
• Is Part Of: Nano energy. Volume 103(2022)Part A
• Publication Date: 2022-12-01
• Subjects: Low-cost -- Two-dimensional -- Biomimetic nanochannels -- Osmotic power generation -- Thermal power generation; Nanoscience -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanostructured materials -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Technological innovations -- Periodicals; Nanoscience; Nanostructured materials; Nanotechnology; Power resources -- Technological innovations; Periodicals; 621.042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2022.107782
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2211-2855

Abstract

Abstract: Organisms can make use of the ion channels embedded on the cell membranes to harvest osmotic energy and heat energy, which provides inspirations to design artificial nanochannel-based power generators. Herein, two-dimensional (2D) montmorillonite (MMT) nanochannels are fabricated with a facile method of direct assembling the exfoliated monolayers in a liquid phase to achieve the biomimetic power generation from salinity- and heat-gradient. The high cation selectivity and sufficient ion flux enable MMT nanochannels to present high power densities of ∼4.58 W/m 2 under 50-fold concentration gradient and ∼0.47 W/m 2 under 30 °C temperature gradient, respectively. The performance can be further improved to ∼8.53 W/m 2 to harvest the energy stored in the thermal-osmotic gradient. The facile and cost-effective MMT nanochannels open new insights into biomimetic energy conversion from various sources. Graphical Abstract: ga1 Highlights: Biomimetic 2D nanochannels were fabricated through a simple and low-cost method. The ion transport was controlled in the confined space of nanochannels. The nanochannels were applied to convert osmotic energy and heat energy. The thermal-osmotic gradient enhanced the power generation performance.