Light-responsive and ultrapermeable two-dimensional metal-organic framework membrane for efficient ionic energy harvesting.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38459037.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-46439-w and PMC identifier 10923900.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Nanofluidic membranes offer exceptional promise for osmotic energy conversion, but the challenge of balancing ionic selectivity and permeability persists. Here, we present a bionic nanofluidic system based on two-dimensional (2D) copper tetra-(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin framework (Cu-TCPP). The inherent nanoporous structure and horizontal interlayer channels endow the Cu-TCPP membrane with ultrahigh ion permeability and allow for a power density of 16.64 W m<sup>-2</sup>, surpassing state of-the-art nanochannel membranes. Moreover, leveraging the photo-thermal property of Cu-TCPP, light-controlled ion active transport is realized even under natural sunlight. By combining solar energy with salinity gradient, the driving force for ion transport is reinforced, leading to further improvements in energy conversion performance. Notably, light could even eliminate the need for salinity gradient, achieving a power density of 0.82 W m<sup>-2</sup> in a symmetric solution system. Our work introduces a new perspective on developing advanced membranes for solar/ionic energy conversion and extends the concept of salinity energy to a notion of ionic energy.