Fig. 2
From: High-performance silk-based hybrid membranes employed for osmotic energy conversion
The stability and ion transport of the hybrid membranes. a I–T curves of the hybrid membrane recorded in 0.1 M KCl (pH 3.03, 6.80, and 11.01) with an external bias alternating between +1 V and −1 V to investigate the stability of ion transport through the hybrid membrane. Each cycle (+1 to −1 V) is sustained for 5 min. b Ionic conductance of the hybrid membrane as a function of the electrolyte concentration. The transmembrane ionic conductance (red circle) apparently deviates from the bulk value (black dash line) when the electrolyte concentration is less than 1 M, indicating the surface-charge-governed ion transport behavior. The inset shows the functional groups existing on the SNF membrane surface. Error bars represent s.d. c I–V curves of the AAO membrane, the SNF membrane, and the hybrid membrane measured with the voltage range (0 V, +1 V) in 0.1 M KCl. Error bars represent s.d. d The calculated ionic concentration profiles based on 3D models of the three membranes. The applied bias is set to +1 V
