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Toward salinity-gradient modulated ionic transport in a nanoslit: A framework accelerating electrical energy
Sumit Kumar Mehta1, Pranab Kumar Mondal1,2,3, Somchai Wongwises3
1Microfluidics and Microscale Transport Processes Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|June 23, 2025
Summary
Environmentally friendly energy generation using nanofluidic reverse electrodialysis is explored. Non-uniformly charged nanochannels (PNP and NPN) show high power density, exceeding commercial limits in acidic and basic conditions, respectively.
Area of Science:
- Sustainable Energy
- Nanotechnology
- Electrochemistry
Background:
- Growing demand for sustainable energy solutions.
- Need for efficient energy-generating devices.
- Potential of nanofluidic systems for energy harvesting.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate high energy-density production using nanofluidic reverse electrodialysis.
- Explore the influence of salinity gradients and pH on ionic transport.
- Analyze non-uniformly charged nanochannels for improved performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized non-uniformly charged nanochannels (NPN and PNP configurations).
- Varied the pH of the right-side reservoir (pHright) to study ionic and fluidic characteristics.
- Compared performance against uniformly charged nanochannel designs.
Main Results:
- Non-uniform charge configurations (PNP and NPN) significantly affect the local potential field.
- PNP nanoslits show high cationic selectivity in acidic conditions; NPN show high anionic selectivity in basic conditions.
- Both PNP and NPN configurations achieved power densities exceeding commercial thresholds at specific pH values.
- Non-uniformly charged designs demonstrated higher average flow velocity and mass flow rates under salinity gradients.
Conclusions:
- Non-uniformly charged nanochannels offer a promising approach for efficient nanofluidic energy generation.
- Tailoring nanochannel surface charge and operating pH can optimize power density and flow rates.
- This research contributes to developing advanced nanofluidic devices for sustainable energy.
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