Harnessing the Intrinsic Ionic Rectification Properties of Blind-Hole Nanoporous Anodic Alumina for Osmotic Energy Generation

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Khanh Nhien Vu - , University of Adelaide (Author)
  • Cheryl Suwen Law - , University of Adelaide (Author)
  • Charles Lord - , University of Adelaide (Author)
  • Juan Wang - , University of Adelaide (Author)
  • Siew Yee Lim - , University of Adelaide (Author)
  • John Horsley - , University of Adelaide (Author)
  • Kornelius Nielsch - , Chair of Metallic Materials and Metal Physics, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Andrew D. Abell - , University of Adelaide (Author)
  • Abel Santos - , University of Adelaide (Author)

Abstract

The full potential of blue energy as a sustainable technology for high-performance energy generation remains elusive. Nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) is extensively used as a passive structural support to develop a broad variety of ion exchange membranes based on other materials for osmosis-driven energy generation. However, the intrinsic ionic current rectification (ICR) properties of the inherited hemispherical barrier oxide layer (BOL) closing the bottom tips of NAA's nanopores are overlooked. As-produced NAA provides new avenues to control ionic transport through its BOL, acting as an ICR model system to study electric current associated with the selective flow of ions across anodic oxides. This study explores the intrinsic capability of NAA membranes for osmotic energy generation. NAA membranes with a working area of 13.4 mm2 can generate a power density yield of ≈2.8×10−4W m−2 when subjected to a 105-fold salinity ratio at a pH 3 in CaCl2 electrolyte, achieving a high efficiency of 7%. With better understanding of the mechanism of ion transport on osmotic generation, the intrinsic properties of NAA membranes can be tailor-engineered to maximize blue energy yield, paving the way for future developments in a scalable technology suited for real-life applications.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number2400697
JournalAdvanced functional materials
Volume34
Issue number29
Publication statusPublished - 17 Jul 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

Keywords

  • barrier oxide layer, ionic current rectification, ionic transport, nanoporous anodic alumina, osmotic energy generation, power density