Neuromorphic van der Waals crystals for substantial energy generation

Joon Sang Lee,Dana Jin,Hae Gon Lee,Wooyoung Shim,Gwangmook Kim,Sungsoon Kim,Sangjin Choi,Taehoon Kim

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-20296-9

Joon Sang Lee, Dana Jin + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20296-9

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Journal: Nature Communications	Publication Date: Jan 4, 2021
Citations: 24	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Yonsei University

Abstract

Controlling ion transport in nanofluidics is fundamental to water purification, bio-sensing, energy storage, energy conversion, and numerous other applications. For any of these, it is essential to design nanofluidic channels that are stable in the liquid phase and enable specific ions to pass. A human neuron is one such system, where electrical signals are transmitted by cation transport for high-speed communication related to neuromorphic computing. Here, we present a concept of neuro-inspired energy harvesting that uses confined van der Waals crystal and demonstrate a method to maximise the ion diffusion flux to generate an electromotive force. The confined nanochannel is robust in liquids as in neuron cells, enabling steady-state ion diffusion for hundred of hours and exhibiting ion selectivity of 95.8%, energy conversion efficiency of 41.4%, and power density of 5.26 W/m2. This fundamental understanding and rational design strategy can enable previously unrealisable applications of passive-type large-scale power generation.

Highlights

Controlling ion transport in nanofluidics is fundamental to water purification, bio-sensing, energy storage, energy conversion, and numerous other applications
It is noteworthy that the free spacing of 4.5 Å in the confined channel is comparable to the ion channel size of the plasma membrane (4‒5 Å) that permits Na+ to pass through for communication
By providing the effective channel size (4–5 Å) and carboxyl functional groups similar to the biological ion channels, ion selectivity is ideally increased with concentrations similar to or higher than that of biological ion channels

Summary

Introduction

Controlling ion transport in nanofluidics is fundamental to water purification, bio-sensing, energy storage, energy conversion, and numerous other applications. The confined nanochannel is robust in liquids as in neuron cells, enabling steady-state ion diffusion for hundred of hours and exhibiting ion selectivity of 95.8%, energy conversion efficiency of 41.4%, and power density of 5.26 W/m2. This fundamental understanding and rational design strategy can enable previously unrealisable applications of passive-type large-scale power generation. Channels are ion-specific pores that permit specific types of ions, such as Na+, K+, and Ca2+, to flow across the membrane driven by concentration gradients These ion channels produce a transient change in the electrical potential of the plasma membrane, called action potential[3]. The carboxyl group (–COOH) (negative charge) from aspartic acid and glutamic acid in the filter is required to increase the cation selectivity[4,5]

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