Issue 13, 2021

Improving the efficiency of electrokinetic conversion in nanofluidics with graphene-engineered surface

Abstract

Nanofluidic electrokinetic systems have attracted increasing interest in view of their potential in miniaturized electricity generation and mass transport, but suffer from low efficiency. In this work, we propose a novel approach to boost the energy efficiency of electrokinetic devices by simply engineering the solid–liquid interface with single-layer graphene. Through molecular dynamics simulation and theoretical analysis, we demonstrate that the graphene engineered interface allows for strong slip flow, which commonly exists on hydrophobic surfaces, and high surface charge, which only exists on hydrophilic surfaces. The flow boundary and surface electrical charge are decoupled on such a uniquely heterogeneous surface. Owing to the decoupling, we demonstrate that the energy efficiency of a streaming generator can be enhanced by a factor of 20–100 at different charge densities, which suggests a general and effective strategy to promote the efficiency of a series of electrokinetic devices, such as nanofluidic generators and osmotic pumps.

Graphical abstract: Improving the efficiency of electrokinetic conversion in nanofluidics with graphene-engineered surface

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
08 Cax 2021
Accepted
27 Cax 2021
First published
03 Qas 2021

Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2021,5, 3292-3297

Improving the efficiency of electrokinetic conversion in nanofluidics with graphene-engineered surface

J. Pei, B. Chen, X. Liu, J. Huang, X. Hu and K. Liu, Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2021, 5, 3292 DOI: 10.1039/D1SE00717C

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