Heterogeneous MXene/PS‐b‐P2VP Nanofluidic Membranes with Controllable Ion Transport for Osmotic Energy Conversion

• Published in: Advanced functional materials Vol. 31; no. 45
• Main Authors: Lin, Xiangbin, Liu, Pei, Xin, Weiwen, Teng, Yunfei, Chen, Jianjun, Wu, Yadong, Zhao, Yifei, Kong, Xiang‐Yu, Jiang, Lei, Wen, Liping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.11.2021
• Subjects: asymmetric nanochannels; Block copolymers; Charge distribution; Controllability; controlled ion transport; Energy conversion; Energy harvesting; Fluidics; Heterostructures; Ion diffusion; Ion flux; Ion transport; Materials science; Membranes; Metal carbides; MXenes; Nanochannels; Nanofluids; osmotic energy conversion; Polarization; Porosity; Seawater; Selectivity; Skewed distributions; Transition metals; tunable surface charges
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202105013

Membrane‐based osmotic power harvesting is a strategy for sustainable power generation. 2D nanofluids with high ion conductivity and selectivity are emerging candidates for osmotic energy conversion. However, the ion diffusion under nanoconfinement is hindered by homogeneous 2D membranes with monotonic charge regulation and severe concentration polarization, which results in an undesirable power conversion performance. Here, an asymmetric nanochannel membrane with a two‐layered structure is reported, in which the angstrom‐scale channels of 2D transition metal carbides/nitrides (MXenes) act as a screening layer for controlling ion transport, and the nanoscale pores of the block copolymer (BCP) are the pH‐responsive arrays with an ordered nanovoid structure. The heterogeneous nanofluidic device exhibits an asymmetric charge distribution and enlarged 1D BCP porosity under acidic and alkaline conditions, respectively; this improves the gradient‐driven ion diffusion, allowing a high‐performance osmotic energy conversion with a power density of up to 6.74 W m−2 by mixing artificial river water and seawater. Experiments and theoretical simulations indicate that the tunable asymmetric heterostructure contributes to impairing the concentration polarization and enhancing the ion flux. This efficient osmotic energy generator can advance the fundamental understanding of the MXene‐based heterogeneous nanofluidic devices as a paradigm for membrane‐based energy conversion technologies. This work demonstrates the use of asymmetric nanochannel membranes composed of metal carbides/nitride and block copolymer layers for harvesting osmotic energy. This membrane with chemical, geometrical, and electrostatic heterostructures contributes to impairing the concentration polarization. In nanoconfinement, the membrane preserves the surface‐charge‐governed ion transport and exhibits excellent ion selectivity and flow, achieving a high‐performance power density of 6.74 W m−2.