Osmotic energy, existing between solutions with different concentrations, is a sustainable and ecofriendly resource for solving energy issues. However, current membrane-based osmotic energy conversion technologies focus on electricity generation from an “open” system by directly mixing salt (NaCl) solutions at room temperature. For the integrated utilization of thermal energy and higher power output performance, we demonstrate thermoenhanced osmotic energy conversion by employing highly soluble lithium bromide (LiBr) solutions, asymmetric sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)/poly(ether sulfone) (SPEEK/PES) membranes, and LiMn2O4/carbon nanotube (LMO/CNT) electrodes. The thin top layer of this heat-resistant membrane contains hydrophilic groups (i.e., the sulfonated groups in SPEEK) that are beneficial for ion-selective transport. The thermal effect on each solution is investigated, and osmotic energy conversion can be improved by regulating the heat gradient. The power density is ~16.50 W/m2 by coupling with a temperature gradient (30 °C). This work is a step forward for promoting the performance of osmotic energy conversion with thermal energy assistance and provides the basis for a closed-loop system with regenerated osmotic energy from other energy forms. Moreover, the external field-osmotic hybrid energy conversion system shows powerful potential in the energy harvesting field.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.