Biopolymer Membranes for Osmotic Power Generation in Bionic Applications

Osmotic power harvested from the physiological environment via reverse electrodialysis (RED) offers a net-zero chemical reaction and non-harmful byproducts, presenting a promising strategy for powering bionic devices. As a key component and ideal candidate, biopolymer membranes offer excellent biocompatibility, high ion conductivity, tunable surface modification, and biodegradability. This review provides an overview of biopolymer-based osmotic power generation for bionic applications. It uniquely bridges biopolymer membranes, RED, and bionic applications, addressing a critical research gap by integrating biopolymer membranes with RED technologies for biomedical use. It illustrates the mechanism of RED process and its bioinspired design, highlighting the role of biopolymer membranes in enhancing energy conversion efficiency and biological integration. The function of RED in ion regulation for monitoring and modulating physiological conditions is elucidated. Integrating biopolymer membrane with osmotic power generation offers a promising route to self-powered healthcare devices that harmonizes with the body's intrinsic biological processes.