Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Potentiometry: Membrane Electrodes01:15

Potentiometry: Membrane Electrodes

2.2K
Membrane electrodes, also known as p-ion electrodes, use membranes that selectively interact with free analyte ions, generating a potential difference across the membrane. The resulting membrane potential, known as the asymmetry potential, is not zero even when analyte concentrations on both sides of the membrane are equal. The membrane's response is typically not selective to a single analyte but proportional to the concentration of all ions in the sample solution capable of interacting at...
2.2K
What is an Electrochemical Gradient?01:26

What is an Electrochemical Gradient?

118.4K
Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, is considered the primary energy source in cells. However, energy can also be stored in the electrochemical gradient of an ion across the plasma membrane, which is determined by two factors: its chemical and electrical gradients.
The chemical gradient relies on differences in the abundance of a substance on the outside versus the inside of a cell and flows from areas of high to low ion concentration. In contrast, the electrical gradient revolves around an...
118.4K
Electrochemical Gradient and Channel Proteins: An Overview01:21

Electrochemical Gradient and Channel Proteins: An Overview

4.9K
An electrochemical gradient is a fundamental concept in biology and chemistry. It regulates the movement of ions across cell membranes. This movement is influenced by two factors:
The electrical gradient: The electrical gradient across cell membranes refers to the difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a cell.  This difference drives the movement of ions towards or away from the cells. For instance, if the inside of the cell is more negatively charged relative to...
4.9K
Schottky Barrier Diode01:27

Schottky Barrier Diode

1.3K
Schottky barrier diodes are specialized semiconductor devices characterized by their unique construction. This construction involves combining a metal layer with a moderately doped n-type semiconductor material. This combination leads to the formation of a Schottky barrier, a pivotal element that defines the diode's operational characteristics. The core functionality of Schottky barrier diodes is their capacity to allow current to flow in only one direction due to their distinctive...
1.3K
P-N junction01:11

P-N junction

1.6K
A p-n junction is formed when p-type and n-type semiconductor materials are joined together. At the interface of the p-n junction, holes from the p-side and electrons from the n-side begin to diffuse into the opposite sides due to the concentration gradient. This diffusion of carriers leads to a region around the junction where there are no free charge carriers, known as the depletion region. The charge density within the depletion region for the n-side and p-side can be described by the...
1.6K
Electrochemical Systems01:24

Electrochemical Systems

174
Electrochemical systems provide a fascinating insight into the dynamic interplay of charged species within various phases. One notable example is the interaction between a membrane permeable to K⁺ ions but not to Cl⁻ ions, separating an aqueous KCl solution from pure water. As K⁺ ions diffuse through the membrane, they generate net charges on each phase, leading to a potential difference between them.Similarly, when a piece of Zn is immersed in an aqueous ZnSO₄ solution,...
174

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Sulfur vacancy-mediated selective S-O bond scission dictates dominant singlet oxygen evolution in PMS activation.

Environmental research·2026
Same author

Cross-Contamination Identification of Additive Manufacturing Metal Powders Using Spatially Confined Particle-Flow LIBS and Machine Learning.

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Biomimetic MXene nanoplatform for tumor-specific synergistic phototherapy and immune reprogramming in pancreatic cancer.

Biomaterials science·2026
Same author

Neurotransmitters in cancer: how receptor signaling and posttranslational modifications modulate tumor progression and offer new therapeutic targets.

Cell communication and signaling : CCS·2026
Same author

Improving the structural and functional properties of soy protein amyloid fibrils through ohmic heating.

Food chemistry·2026
Same author

RANBP3 promotes mitophagy through the CCAR2/SIRT1 pathway to alleviate pyroptosis in macrophages in TBTB.

Scientific reports·2026
Same journal

Proton-Gated Torsional Spring for Molecular Energy Storage.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Topologically Programmed Dual-Channel Covalent Organic Frameworks Decouple Gas and Ion Fluxes for Acidic CO<sub>2</sub> Electroreduction.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Plasmonic Re-Excitation Enables Superoxide-Mediated Ethane Conversion to Acetic Acid under Visible Light.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Photocatalytic Controlled Halodefluorination of Perfluoroalkyl Compounds Using <i>N</i>-Arylphenothiazines.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Photoinduced Disproportionation Enables Oxidative Addition of Aryl Iodides at a Gallium(I) Center.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Biocatalytic C3 β-<i>O</i>-Glycosylation of Triterpenes and Sterols to Synthesize Natural and Unnatural Saponins.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Ion-Exchange Membranes for the Fabrication of Reverse Electrodialysis Device
07:55

Ion-Exchange Membranes for the Fabrication of Reverse Electrodialysis Device

Published on: July 20, 2021

10.6K

High-performance ionic diode membrane for salinity gradient power generation.

Jun Gao1, Wei Guo, Dan Feng

  • 1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, P. R. China.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|August 20, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A novel ionic diode membrane (IDM) harvests energy from salinity gradients, offering a sustainable power source. This asymmetric nanofluidic device achieves high power density, outperforming existing technologies for clean energy generation.

More Related Videos

Proof-of-Concept for Gas-Entrapping Membranes Derived from Water-Loving SiO2/Si/SiO2 Wafers for Green Desalination
09:39

Proof-of-Concept for Gas-Entrapping Membranes Derived from Water-Loving SiO2/Si/SiO2 Wafers for Green Desalination

Published on: March 1, 2020

7.3K
Merging Ion Concentration Polarization between Juxtaposed Ion Exchange Membranes to Block the Propagation of the Polarization Zone
08:06

Merging Ion Concentration Polarization between Juxtaposed Ion Exchange Membranes to Block the Propagation of the Polarization Zone

Published on: February 23, 2017

7.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Ion-Exchange Membranes for the Fabrication of Reverse Electrodialysis Device
07:55

Ion-Exchange Membranes for the Fabrication of Reverse Electrodialysis Device

Published on: July 20, 2021

10.6K
Proof-of-Concept for Gas-Entrapping Membranes Derived from Water-Loving SiO2/Si/SiO2 Wafers for Green Desalination
09:39

Proof-of-Concept for Gas-Entrapping Membranes Derived from Water-Loving SiO2/Si/SiO2 Wafers for Green Desalination

Published on: March 1, 2020

7.3K
Merging Ion Concentration Polarization between Juxtaposed Ion Exchange Membranes to Block the Propagation of the Polarization Zone
08:06

Merging Ion Concentration Polarization between Juxtaposed Ion Exchange Membranes to Block the Propagation of the Polarization Zone

Published on: February 23, 2017

7.9K

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • Salinity difference between seawater and river water presents a sustainable energy resource amid global energy crises.
  • Interdisciplinary research in chemistry, materials science, environmental science, and nanotechnology aims to develop efficient energy conversion methods.
  • Nanoscale fluidic transport phenomena offer potential breakthroughs for harvesting salinity gradient power, moving beyond conventional membrane processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a membrane-scale nanofluidic device for harvesting electric power from salinity gradients.
  • To address the challenge of scaling up single-channel devices to macroscopic materials for real-world applications.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of an asymmetric ionic diode membrane (IDM) using mesoporous carbon (negatively charged) and macroporous alumina (positively charged).
  • Characterization of the membrane's ionic current rectification properties, including rectification ratio and performance in high-concentration electrolytes.
  • Experimental demonstration of power generation by mixing artificial seawater and river water through the IDM.

Main Results:

  • The IDM exhibited a high ionic current rectification ratio of approximately 450.
  • The membrane maintained rectification capabilities even in saturated electrolyte solutions.
  • A high power density of up to 3.46 W/m(2) was achieved, surpassing commercial ion-exchange membranes.
  • A theoretical model based on coupled Poisson and Nernst-Planck equations was developed to explain the observed phenomena.

Conclusions:

  • The asymmetric nanofluidic structure of the IDM enables efficient salinity gradient power generation.
  • The developed IDM technology shows significant potential for sustainable power generation, water purification, and desalination.
  • This macroscopic device design offers a promising pathway for practical applications of salinity gradient energy harvesting.