Confinement-Controlled Water Engenders Unusually High Electrochemical Capacitance

J Phys Chem Lett. 2023 Jul 27;14(29):6572-6576. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c01498. Epub 2023 Jul 17.

Abstract

The electrodynamics of nanoconfined water have been shown to change dramatically compared to bulk water, opening room for safe electrochemical systems. We demonstrate a nanofluidic "water-only" battery that exploits anomalously high electrolytic properties of pure water at firm confinement. The device consists of a membrane electrode assembly of carbon-based nanomaterials, forming continuously interconnected water-filled nanochannels between the separator and electrodes. The efficiency of the cell in the 1-100 nm pore size range shows a maximum energy density at 3 nm, challenging the region of the current metal-ion batteries. Our results establish the electrodynamic fundamentals of nanoconfined water and pave the way for low-cost and inherently safe energy storage solutions that are much needed in the renewable energy sector.