Strategically Altered Fluorinated Polymer at Nanoscale for Enhancing Proton Conduction and Power Generation from Salinity Gradient

Abstract

Reverse electrodialysis (RED) generates power directly by transforming salinity gradient into electrical energy. The ion transport properties of the ion-exchange membranes need to be investigated deeply to improve the limiting efficiencies of the RED. The interaction between “counterions” and “ionic species” in the membrane requires a fundamental understanding of the phase separation process. Here, we report on sulfonated poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)/graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposites for RED application. We demonstrate that the rearrangement of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains in the semicrystalline polymer at a nanoscale level improves ion conduction. The rearrangement of the ionic species in polymer and “the functionalized nanosheet with ionic species” enhances the proton conduction in the hybrid membrane without a change in the structural integrity of the membrane. A detailed discussion has been provided on the membrane nanostructure, chemical configuration, structural robustness, surface morphology, and ion transport properties of the prepared hybrid membrane. Furthermore, the RED device was fabricated by combining synthesized cation exchange membrane with commercially available anion exchange membrane, NEOSEPTA, and a maximum power density of 0.2 W m−2 was successfully achieved under varying flow rates at the ambient condition.