Densely charged polyelectrolyte-stuffed nanochannel arrays for power generation from salinity gradient

Abstract

We devised anodized aluminium oxide (AAO) frame-supported polyelectrolytic ion-exchange membranes for the application of electrical power generation systems where salinity differences are present. A series of polyelectrolytic AAO membranes (PAMs) were fabricated as a function of concentration of monomers and cross-linkers. Of the ion-selective PAMs as made, the membranes from the most concentrated monomers and cross-linkers, C-PAM100 and A-PAM100, showed the highest area resistances and permselectivities (the resistances were 4.9 and 2.9 ω cm 2, the permseletivities for C-PAM100 and A-PAM100 were 99 and 89%, respectively). The measured resistances and permselectivities allowed the power density to be estimated for C-PAM100 and A-PAM100, 3.5 W/m 2, and experimentally obtained power density using a reverse electrodialysis (RED) stack was 17.3 mW/m 2. In addition, we investigated the influence of an AAO framework on a membrane resistance by comparing the PAMs with polyelectrolyte-stuffed capillaries, revealing that the resistance of the PAM has plenty of potential to be further reduced by optimizing the AAO pore spaces.