Artificial light-driven ion pump for photoelectric energy conversion.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 30622279.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-018-08029-5 and PMC identifier 6325115.
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Abstract
Biological light-driven ion pumps move ions against a concentration gradient to create a membrane potential, thus converting sunlight energy directly into an osmotic potential. Here, we describe an artificial light-driven ion pump system in which a carbon nitride nanotube membrane can drive ions thermodynamically uphill against an up to 5000-fold concentration gradient by illumination. The separation of electrons and holes in the membrane under illumination results in a transmembrane potential which is thought to be the foundation for the pumping phenomenon. When used for harvesting solar energy, a sustained open circuit voltage of 550 mV and a current density of 2.4 μA/cm<sup>2</sup> can reliably be generated, which can be further scaled up through series and parallel circuits of multiple membranes. The ion transport based photovoltaic system proposed here offers a roadmap for the development of devices by using simple, cheap, and stable polymeric carbon nitride.
Medical subject headings
- Ion Pumps
- Ions
- Membranes, Artificial
- Nanotubes, Carbon
- Solar Energy