Directional Ion Transport Through Nanoarchitected 1D Mesochannels: 2D Polymer Interfacial Engineering for High-Efficiency Capacitive Deionization

Chen Tang; Hongli Chen; Qian Li; Changle Li; Ying Li; Azhar Alowasheeir; Zeinhom M El-Bahy; Guoxiu Wang; Chongyin Zhang; Yusuke Yamauchi; Xingtao Xu

doi:10.1002/advs.202504527

Directional Ion Transport Through Nanoarchitected 1D Mesochannels: 2D Polymer Interfacial Engineering for High-Efficiency Capacitive Deionization

Adv Sci (Weinh). 2025 Jun 26:e04527. doi: 10.1002/advs.202504527. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Chen Tang^{1

2}, Hongli Chen², Qian Li¹, Changle Li³, Ying Li⁴, Azhar Alowasheeir⁵, Zeinhom M El-Bahy⁶, Guoxiu Wang², Chongyin Zhang⁴, Yusuke Yamauchi^{5

7

8}, Xingtao Xu³

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China.
² Centre for Clean Energy Technology, School of Mathematical and Physical Science, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia.
³ Marine Science and Technology College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang, 316022, China.
⁴ Shanghai Aerospace Equipments Manufacturer Co., Ltd, 100 Huaning Road, Shanghai, 200245, China.
⁵ Department of Materials Process Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8603, Japan.
⁶ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo, 11884, Egypt.
⁷ Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
⁸ Department of Convergent Biotechnology & Advanced Materials Science, Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyeong-daero, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, 17104, South Korea.

PMID: 40569249
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202504527

Abstract

The development of high-performance capacitive deionization (CDI) electrodes demands innovative materials that integrate rapid ion transport, high salt adsorption capacity (SAC), and oxidative stability. This challenge is addressed through a surface nanoarchitectonics strategy, constructing 2D mesochannel polypyrrole/reduced graphene oxide heterostructures (mPPy/rGO) with ordered 1D mesochannels (~8 nm) parallel to the graphene surface. By confining the self-assembly of cylindrical polymer brushes on freestanding rGO substrates, directional ion highways are simultaneously engineered that significantly reduce transport tortuosity. In addition, corrosion-resistant polymer interfaces block oxygen penetration, and strong interfacial interactions between PPy and rGO ensure efficient electron transfer. The mPPy/rGO-based CDI cell achieves breakthrough performance: ultrahigh SAC of 84.1 mg g^-1 (4.5× activated carbon, the salt concentration: 2 g L^-1), and 96.8% capacity retention over 100 cycles in air-equilibrated saline solution (the salt concentration: 500 mg L^-1). This interfacial confinement methodology establishes a universal paradigm for designing polymer-based desalination materials with atomically precise transport pathways.

Keywords: 2D heterostructure; capacitive deionization; ion diffusion; mesochannel; polymer.

Abstract

Grants and funding