Light-Induced Ion Transport and Energy Harvesting through Aramid Nanofiber-Functionalized Indium Selenide Nanochannels

Abstract

Nanopores and nanofluidic techniques have garnered significant attention over recent decades due to their vast potential in applications, such as ion sieving, energy conversion, and signal transmission. However, existing materials face challenges related to efficiency and stability, which impede practical applications. This study prepared freestanding aramid nanofiber-functionalized indium selenide (InSe) membranes designed to enhance ion transport and energy harvesting under light illumination. These composite membranes, which incorporate one-dimensional aramid nanofibers, exhibit superior mechanical strength compared with pure InSe membranes and demonstrate surface-charge-governed ion transport behavior. When exposed to light, ion migration is significantly enhanced due to the increased surface charge density of the nanochannels. Under blue light irradiation with a 3000-fold concentration gradient, the output power density of the membrane device increased by 56.4%. Consequently, InSe-based membranes exhibit great potential in light-induced ion transport for desalination, ion recovery, energy conversion, and other practical uses.