A Trilayer Nanofluidic Ionic Diode for High-Performance Moisture-Enabled Energy Harvesting and Ionic Logic Operations.

Ni, Kun; Ren, Qinyi; Zhang, Xiaohong; Liu, Ruiyuan · Adv Mater · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Nanofluidic ionic diodes enable directional ion transport through confined nanochannels, holding great promise for energy harvesting and iontronic applications. However, their development in moisture-enabled power generation remains limited by insufficient carrier generation and unstable device performance. Here, a trilayer nanofluidic ionic diode-based moist-electric generator is reported, integrating positively charged fabrics, lithium chloride-doped neutral fabrics, and negatively charged fabrics into a p-i-n configuration. The hygroscopic neutral layer promotes efficient moisture absorption and ion dissociation, while the adjacent charged layers, featuring nanochannels formed by graphene oxides, establish a built-in electric field to rectify cation and anion fluxes. This unique structural and functional synergy enables continuous carrier generation and directional transport, achieving both a remarkable voltage of ≈1.38 V and a current of ≈35 µA cm<sup>-2</sup> and further exhibiting a peak voltage of ≈1.6 V with stable operation for over 600 h by employing active metal electrodes. Beyond energy harvesting, the diode-like rectification allows implementation of ionic logic gates and foldable configurations for powering portable electronics. This work establishes a versatile platform for high-performance nanofluidic diode-based devices, bridging sustainable power generation with emerging iontronic systems.