Electricity generation from carbon dioxide adsorption by spatially nanoconfined ion separation

Zhuyuan Wang, Ting Hu, Mike Tebyetekerwa, Xiangkang Zeng, Fan Du, Yuan Kang, Xuefeng Li, Hao Zhang, Huanting Wang and Xiwang Zhang ()
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Zhuyuan Wang: The University of Queensland
Ting Hu: Monash University
Mike Tebyetekerwa: The University of Queensland
Xiangkang Zeng: The University of Queensland
Fan Du: Monash University
Yuan Kang: Monash University
Xuefeng Li: The University of Queensland
Hao Zhang: The University of Queensland
Huanting Wang: Monash University
Xiwang Zhang: The University of Queensland

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Selective ion transport underpins fundamental biological processes for efficient energy conversion and signal propagation. Mimicking these ‘ionics’ in synthetic nanofluidic channels has been increasingly promising for realizing self-sustained systems by harvesting clean energy from diverse environments, such as light, moisture, salinity gradient, etc. Here, we report a spatially nanoconfined ion separation strategy that enables harvesting electricity from CO2 adsorption. This breakthrough relies on the development of Nanosheet-Agarose Hydrogel (NAH) composite-based generators, wherein the oppositely charged ions are released in water-filled hydrogel channels upon adsorbing CO2. By tuning the ion size and ion-channel interactions, the released cations at the hundred-nanometer scale are spatially confined within the hydrogel network, while ångström-scale anions pass through unhindered. This leads to near-perfect anion/cation separation across the generator with a selectivity (D-/D+) of up to 1.8 × 106, allowing conversion into external electricity. With amplification by connecting multiple as-designed generators, the ion separation-induced electricity reaching 5 V is used to power electronic devices. This study introduces an effective spatial nanoconfinement strategy for widely demanded high-precision ion separation, encouraging a carbon-negative technique with simultaneous CO2 adsorption and energy generation.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47040-x

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