Synergetic Combination of Bio-Electrolytes and Bio-Fluidic Channels as a Novel Resource of Sustainable Energy

Exploration for sustainable energy resources is essential to minimize the dependence on fossil fuels and to improve environmental parameters. Here, the possibility of utilizing bio-waste-derived electrolytes as an electrical energy resource by placing them across semipermeable membranes prepared through parallel stacking of coir fibers is examined. The nanofluidic membrane (d-CF-V) prepared by modifying the inner walls of the bio-fluidic channels with atomically thin layers of vanadium pentoxide (VO) shows excellent perm-selectivity (t₊ = 0.87, with 1000-fold concentration difference) and electricity conversion efficiency (≈ 28.2%). With simulated sea and river water, the d-CF-V yields output energy up to 2.4 W m⁻², similarly with mineral acid bases (0.5 m HCl and 0.01 m NaOH), the d-CF-V shows an energy output of 11.8 W m⁻². The sun-dried Garcinia morella (Kuji thekera), and charred peels of Musa balbisiana (banana) are used as sustainable sources of bio-electrolytes, which in combination with permselective d-CF-V yielded a power density of ≈1.4 W m⁻². By replacing standard Ag/AgCl electrodes with nanomaterials exhibiting contrasting charge transfer activities, oxidized carbon nanotube membrane (o-CNT) and polyaniline (PANI) membrane the output voltage is enhanced from –127 to –568 mV and current output is increased from 10.2 to 51.5 µA.