Photoinduced Cation Coupled Electron Transfer for Efficient Ionic Power Harvesting Based on CNT/MoS₂ Heterostructures

Area of Science:

• Opto-nanofluidics
• Biomimetic engineering
• Sustainable energy harvesting

Background:

• Photosynthesis utilizes light-driven proton-coupled electron transfer for energy.
• Artificial systems can mimic natural processes for novel applications.
• Ion transport in nanofluidic devices is crucial for energy conversion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a biomimetic nanofluidic system inspired by photosynthesis.
• To achieve photo-activated ion transport in iso-concentration electrolytes.
• To explore synergistic photothermal-photoelectric coupling for energy harvesting.

Main Methods:

• Engineered a CNT/MoS2 nanofluidic system.
• Utilized synergistic photothermal-photoelectric coupling under light irradiation.
• Investigated ion migration driven by temperature and surface charge gradients.

Main Results:

• Achieved photo-activated ion transport via dual gradients (temperature and surface charge).
• Demonstrated autonomous ion pumping with an output power density of 18.98 mW m-2.
• Observed robust adaptability across diverse illumination, concentration, pH, and ion species.

Conclusions:

• The developed system successfully mimics biological transport principles for energy harvesting.
• Synergistic photothermal-photoelectric coupling is effective for photo-activated ion transport.
• This work establishes a blueprint for artificial non-equilibrium iontronics.