Electricity generation and local ion ordering induced by cation-controlled selective anion transportation through graphene oxide membranes

Abstract

A cation-controlled selective anion transportation through graphene oxide (GO) membranes is demonstrated in this work. The results reveal that the trans-membrane transport of different anions can be modulated by the corresponding cations. The diverse interactions among anions, cations, and the negatively charged GO membranes are responsible for selective anion permeation through GO membranes. During the ion penetration, electrical potential differences can be generated across drain and source as well as across GO membranes; based on this, the ion distributions around GO membranes can be determined. The results indicate that local ion ordering can be achieved by GO membranes. Interestingly, for the cases of KNO3, Ca(NO3)2, and Ba(NO3)2, alternate aggregations of metallic cations and NO3− anions can be formed around GO membranes, demonstrating the fantastic ability of these membranes for ordering the ions locally in solutions. In addition, based on the electrical potential differences generated by different salts, chlorides are demonstrated to be ideal sources for efficient practical electricity production compared to sulfates and nitrates, while the different voltage signals generated can be used to identify different source solutions for liquid sensing applications. These results indicate that GO membranes can find potential applications in membrane separation, energy generation, ion recognition, and local ion organizing.