Bioinspired 2D nanofluidic membranes for energy applications

Lei, Dandan; Zhang, Zhen; Jiang, Lei

doi:10.1039/d3cs00382e

Cited by 16 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 270 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This scenario underscores the urgent need to drive innovations in renewable energy and refine water purification techniques to ensure sustainable development worldwide. 4−6 The development of membranes with superior ion selectivity and permeability represents a pivotal solution to these imminent challenges, as outlined by several key points: (1) The effectiveness of numerous energy-generation technologies, such as batteries, fuel cells, and electrolyzers, hinges on the selective ion transport capabilities of membranes; 7,8 (2) Through selectively transporting an ion, these membranes can precisely remove harmful ionic pollutants, thereby reducing environmental risks from industrial waste streams and potentially recovering valuable elements from aquatic ecosystems. 9−11 Despite the significant potential benefits of ion-selective membranes in both economic and ecological realms, their full potential remains underutilized, primarily due to limitations in current materials.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The rapid expansion of industrial sectors alongside a burgeoning global population is set to exert unprecedented strains on our finite energy and water resources in the near future. This scenario underscores the urgent need to drive innovations in renewable energy and refine water purification techniques to ensure sustainable development worldwide. − The development of membranes with superior ion selectivity and permeability represents a pivotal solution to these imminent challenges, as outlined by several key points: (1) The effectiveness of numerous energy-generation technologies, such as batteries, fuel cells, and electrolyzers, hinges on the selective ion transport capabilities of membranes; , (2) Through selectively transporting an ion, these membranes can precisely remove harmful ionic pollutants, thereby reducing environmental risks from industrial waste streams and potentially recovering valuable elements from aquatic ecosystems. − Despite the significant potential benefits of ion-selective membranes in both economic and ecological realms, their full potential remains underutilized, primarily due to limitations in current materials. − Numerous research efforts have been dedicated to enhancing the interaction between ions and membranes while also augmenting the free volume within membranes to improve selective ion transport. − However, traditional polymeric membranes face challenges in simultaneously enhancing selectivity and permeability. This is due to their multiscale heterogeneity, which includes irregular pore sizes and random placement of functional chemical groups.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The effectiveness of numerous energy-generation technologies, such as batteries, fuel cells, and electrolyzers, hinges on the selective ion transport capabilities of membranes; 7,8 (2) Through selectively transporting an ion, these membranes can precisely remove harmful ionic pollutants, thereby reducing environmental risks from industrial waste streams and potentially recovering valuable elements from aquatic ecosystems. 9−11 Despite the significant potential benefits of ion-selective membranes in both economic and ecological realms, their full potential remains underutilized, primarily due to limitations in current materials.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Advancing Ion Separation: Covalent-Organic-Framework Membranes for Sustainable Energy and Water Applications

Xian,

Wu,

Lai

et al. 2024

Acc. Chem. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Metrics & MoreArticle Recommendations * sı Supporting Information CONSPECTUS: Membranes are pivotal in a myriad of energy production processes and modern separation techniques. They are essential in devices for energy generation, facilities for extracting energy elements, and plants for wastewater treatment, each of which hinges on effective ion separation. While biological ion channels show exceptional permeability and selectivity, designing synthetic membranes with defined pore architecture and chemistry on the (sub)nanometer scale has been challenging. Consequently, a typical trade-off emerges: highly permeable membranes often sacrifice selectivity and vice versa. To tackle this dilemma, a comprehensive understanding and modeling of synthetic membranes across various scales is imperative. This lays the foundation for establishing design criteria for advanced membrane materials. Key attributes for such materials encompass appropriately sized pores, a narrow pore size distribution, and finely tuned interactions between desired permeants and the membrane. The advent of covalent-organic-framework (COF) membranes offers promising solutions to the challenges faced by conventional membranes in selective ion separation within the water-energy nexus. COFs are molecular Legos, facilitating the precise integration of small organic structs into extended, porous, crystalline architectures through covalent linkage. This unique molecular architecture allows for precise control over pore sizes, shapes, and distributions within the membrane. Additionally, COFs offer the flexibility to modify their pore spaces with distinct functionalities. This adaptability not only enhances their permeability but also facilitates tailored interactions with specific ions. As a result, COF membranes are positioned as prime candidates to achieve both superior permeability and selectivity in ion separation processes.In this Account, we delineate our endeavors aimed at leveraging the distinctive attributes of COFs to augment ion separation processes, tackling fundamental inquiries while identifying avenues for further exploration. Our strategies for fabricating COF membranes with enhanced ion selectivity encompass the following: (1) crafting (sub)nanoscale ion channels to enhance permselectivity, thereby amplifying energy production;(2) implementing a multivariate (MTV) synthesis method to control charge density within nanochannels, optimizing ion transport efficiency; (3) modifying the pore environment within confined mass transfer channels to establish distinct pathways for ion transport. For each strategy, we expound on its chemical foundations and offer illustrative examples that underscore fundamental principles. Our efforts have culminated in the creation of groundbreaking membrane materials that surpass traditional counterparts, propelling advancements in sustainable energy conversion, waste heat utilization, energy element extraction, and pollutant removal. These innovations are poised to redefine energy systems and industrial wastewater m...

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Advancing Ion Separation: Covalent-Organic-Framework Membranes for Sustainable Energy and Water Applications

Xian,

Wu,

Lai

et al. 2024

Acc. Chem. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Customizable Twisted Nanofluidic Cellulose Fibers by Asymmetric Microfluidics for Self‐Powered Urine Monitoring

Lin,

Fu,

Yang

et al. 2024

Adv Funct Materials

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The unique selective ion‐transport characteristics of nanofluids make them applicable in energy harvesting and sensing. However, developing scalable, self‐powered nanofluidic devices remains challenging due to high cost, processing complexity, and reliance on external power sources. In this work, surface‐twisted, internally aligned algae fibers (twisted fibers) are fabricated using an asymmetric flow field to regulate the assembly process of the algae cellulose nanofibers. Unlike aligned fibers from the symmetrical process, asymmetric flow‐mediated twisted fibers exhibit a significantly reduced diameter (33.6–20.4 µm), increased packing density (0.87–1.47 g cm−3), superior fractured stress (249.4–468.5 MPa), and an enhanced Herman's orientation parameter (from 0.77 to 0.89). Importantly, twisted fibers demonstrate energy‐harvesting up to 12.87 W m−2 under a 50‐fold salinity gradient and can serve as self‐powered urine monitors, effectively distinguishing infants' urination from motility behaviors and alerting urine saturation due to high ionic conductivity (7.8 mS cm−1) at dilute electrolyte concentrations. This study provides a novel design concept for a self‐powered biomass‐based nanofluidic health sensing system.

show abstract

An Ultra‐Miniaturized Fiber Humidity Sensor Based on Near‐Parallel Ion Pathways Induced Efficient Water−Electricity Conversion

Zhang,

Ren,

Jia

et al. 2024

Advanced Materials

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Humidity sensors are vital for ambient monitoring, but existing sensors focus on moisture absorption, overlooking the indispensable role of ion channels in the water‐electricity conversion process. Here, an ultra‐miniaturized fiber humidity (MFH) sensor based on near‐parallel ion pathways is presented. The well‐designed nanochannels significantly facilitate ion transport due to the stable charge distribution and the confined ions migration within near‐parallel nanostructure, which improves the water‐electricity conversion efficiency of moisture‐sensitive fibers. Optimized nanochannels enable the MFH sensor to improve the response/recovery speed by ≈5 times compared to the disordered nanochannels. Additionally, the MFH sensor can be woven for ultra‐miniaturization (0.50 mm2), which is much smaller than current sensors. Therefore, the integrated MFH sensor array demonstrated exceptionally high spatial resolution (sensor density of 1 mm−1), highlighting its potential in flexible wearables. This work provides new optimization strategies and assembly means for designing the high‐performance humidity sensors of the next generation.

show abstract

Bioinspired 2D nanofluidic membranes for energy applications

Abstract: Bioinspired 2D nanofluidic membranes enable efficient and selective ion transport. Further research in this area is essential to facilitate the development of high-performance energy conversion and storage devices for a sustainable future.

Cited by 16 publications

References 270 publications

Advancing Ion Separation: Covalent-Organic-Framework Membranes for Sustainable Energy and Water Applications

Advancing Ion Separation: Covalent-Organic-Framework Membranes for Sustainable Energy and Water Applications

Customizable Twisted Nanofluidic Cellulose Fibers by Asymmetric Microfluidics for Self‐Powered Urine Monitoring

An Ultra‐Miniaturized Fiber Humidity Sensor Based on Near‐Parallel Ion Pathways Induced Efficient Water−Electricity Conversion

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About