Nanoengineered nanochannels for energy harvesting of low-grade waste heat

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This work demonstrates thermal-to-electric energy conversion based on ionic nanofluidic transport in nanochannels inducted by a temperature gradient. Two types of highly periodic and high aspect ratio nanochannels have been fabricated in a silicon (Si) substrate and in an aluminium oxide (Al2O3) membrane. Silicon nanochannels with diameter of 100 nm and height of 300 μm have been produced by metal-assisted chemical etching process (MACE), while nanochannels with the dimensions of the 10 nm and 3 μm respectively, were fabricated in a Al2O3 membrane by the anodic aluminum oxidation (AAO) process. Moreover, a novel approach of thermally nanofluidic energy harvesting was proposed and conducted.