We developed a novel hydrovoltaic power generator (HPG) using a Janus bilayer membrane with an asymmetric wettability. The Janus bilayer membrane was fabricated by stacking a hydrophobic graphene oxide (GO)-cellulose nanofiber (CNF) composite layer on a hydrophilic GO-CNF composite layer. Water supplied through the hydrophilic layer stops at the surface of the hydrophobic layer, producing separate wet and dry regions within the thin bilayer. Protons and sodium ions dissociate from oxygen-containing functional groups in the hydrophilic GO-CNF layer and migrate toward the hydrophobic layer, resulting in a maximum output voltage and current of 0.35 V and 20 μA, respectively, in deionized (DI) water. By replacement of DI water with a 0.6 M NaCl solution (i.e., the concentration of seawater), the output voltage and current were further increased to 0.55 V and 60 μA, respectively. This performance was consistent not only under low humidity due to the water supply but also under high humidity, where evaporation was restricted, indicating humidity-independent performance. The asymmetric wettability of the membrane remained stable throughout the experiment (7 days), enabling continuous power generation.
Keywords: Janus membrane; asymmetric wettability; hydrophobic; hydrovoltaic power generator; ion concentration gradient.