Harnessing vast seawater to produce freshwater and electricity simultaneously is no longer imagination. Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Professor Nam Chang-woo’s research team (College of Engineering, Department of Organic Materials and Textile Engineering) has realized this and is drawing attention from the global academic community.

Existing technologies have separate functions for converting seawater to freshwater and for electricity generation, and they have been limited by dependence on external power supplies. In particular, implementing an integrated system that operates reliably in real outdoor environments has been difficult, significantly constraining practical application.

This study is significant because it implemented a "self-sustaining integrated system" capable of producing freshwater and generating electricity simultaneously using only solar energy and seawater.

The team used a cellulose-based hydrogel to convert seawater to freshwater while generating electricity without an external power source.

The core innovation is the design of porous channels formed by a "salting-out" structure and a sulfonic-acid-group-based network. This structure precisely controls water transport and heat flow and promotes proton hopping, dramatically improving electricity generation efficiency.

Notably, the technology was realized as a scalable system that can operate beyond laboratory conditions in real outdoor environments. It can be used as a self-powered sensor that operates without external electricity and is considered a promising standalone solution for regions facing both water scarcity and energy shortages.

The findings have been accepted for publication in Advanced Materials (IF=26.8) on April 13.

JBNU researcher Kang Jin-hyeok participated as the first author, and researcher Lee Seung-jae is listed as a co-author. In addition, Professor Wu Rong Hui of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, and Professor Nam Chang-woo participated as corresponding authors, completing the work as an international collaborative research effort.

This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea’s Early Career Research Program and by the Marine and Fisheries Science and Technology Promotion Agency.

First author Kang Jin-hyeok said, "I am very pleased that long-term challenges have led to meaningful results," adding, "Having confirmed greater potential through next-generation convergent research incorporating AI-based machine learning, I will continue to produce research outcomes at the global level."

Professor Nam Chang-woo said, "Our research team strives to develop undergraduate and graduate students into talents who will lead future science and technology and produces world-class research outcomes every year," adding, ":존 한계를 넘어서는 연구 성과를 통해 환경·에너지 분야에서 새로운 가능성을 제시하고, 난양공대와의 굳건한 협력을 기반으로 글로벌 수준의 연구를 지속적으로 확장해 나가겠다."