Bio-inspired ion transport/extraction systems toward future energy demand
Linsen Yang, Liping Wen
Abstract
Biological ion transport/extraction systems can specifically recognize target ions and transport them at an ultrahigh rate. Fabricating artificial materials with similar properties is a novel way to achieve energy-related resources, including uranium, lithium, and salinity gradient energy, from natural liquid environments in response to future energy demand. Over the past decade, nature-inspired design has triggered an upsurge of studies in those areas. Here, we track the development of bio-inspired transport/extraction materials fabricated for the above purposes, focusing on the working mechanism of prototypes, design principles of biomimetic materials, and the performance superiority of bio-inspired systems. The particular difficulties in each direction and how biomimetic systems function effectively are also explored. Lastly, we provide an outlook on future requirements for further performance improvement or industrial success of bio-inspired transport/extraction systems.