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Yes: a difference in salt concentration can generate electricity. In a 2016 laboratory experiment, researchers used a nanopore in an atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) membrane to turn a salt gradient into ionic current, then used two generators to power a transistor. The result was a nanoscale demonstration—not a working power plant—and its striking power-density figure needs to be understood at that scale.
What “blue energy” means
Blue energy, also called osmotic power, is energy available from the chemical-potential difference between solutions with different salinities. Seawater meeting freshwater is a familiar example: dissolved salt is more concentrated on one side than the other, creating a gradient that can drive ion movement.
The 2016 study by Feng and colleagues explored whether that movement could be converted directly into electrical current at a single nanopore. It was a materials-science experiment, not a demonstration of electricity generation at a river mouth or utility scale.
How the MoS₂ nanogenerator produced current
A salt gradient across an atomically thin sheet
The researchers placed a single-layer MoS₂ membrane, about 0.65 nanometres thick, between potassium chloride solutions of different concentrations. The concentration difference created a chemical-potential gradient across a pore in the membrane.
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Selective ion transport makes electricity
The pore’s negative charge favored positively charged potassium ions over negatively charged chloride ions. Because more positive charge moved through the pore in one direction, the selective transport produced a diffusion current. This is a reverse-electrodialysis or electrokinetic approach: it converts ion movement across a charged membrane into electrical output.
That mechanism differs from pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO), which uses a membrane to exploit an osmotic pressure difference and drive a turbine. Both approaches draw on salinity differences, but they convert the gradient in different ways.
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What the experiment demonstrated—and what its power figure means
Feng et al. reported an estimated power density of up to 10⁶ watts per square metre for the single-nanopore laboratory experiment. The figure is an estimate from the 2016 study, not a measured output from a large membrane installation. It should not be read as evidence that a square metre of practical equipment—or a power plant—could deliver that output under real-world conditions.
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Why scaling up is difficult
Making large, uniform membranes
A single atomically thin membrane is not the same engineering challenge as manufacturing durable sheets over large areas. In Chemistry World’s 2016 account, researcher Lydéric Bocquet identified the difficulty of making metre-square MoS₂ sheets as a potential bottleneck. A high figure from a nanoscale pore does not by itself show that a large membrane can be fabricated with comparable performance.
Keeping nanopores clear in natural water
River water and seawater contain material that can foul or clog pores. As Ngai Yin Yip noted in the same report, fouling is a practical concern for a system that depends on unobstructed ion transport. A working installation would also need to manage separate water sources and do so without spending too much energy on the supporting system. These issues affect the net usefulness of any generated power.
Rank #4
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Chemistry World’s report discussed remote, low-power nanosensors as a possible niche for the technology, not as an available or proven product. The report’s expert comments describe challenges and possibilities; they do not establish current commercial deployment.
How this approach compares with other osmotic-power methods
| Approach | How it converts the salinity difference | What the cited work establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO) | A membrane uses the osmotic pressure difference; the resulting pressure can drive a turbine. | The 2016 accounts identify PRO as a conventional osmotic-power route. They do not provide a comparable performance figure or current commercial-product assessment. |
| Reverse electrodialysis (RED) | Ion exchange across charged membranes converts selective ion movement into electrical output. | The MoS₂ nanopore experiment is a RED/electrokinetic approach. Its estimated peak power density applies to the single-nanopore laboratory experiment, not a commercial installation. |
The comparison is about conversion mechanisms, not a contest between commercially available products. The cited sources do not establish a current product comparison or show that the nanopore design has overcome membrane-manufacturing, fouling, or system-energy obstacles.
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What the result says about blue energy today
The 2016 study showed that a salinity gradient can drive selective ion transport through an atomically thin MoS₂ nanopore strongly enough to power a transistor in the laboratory. Its estimated power density drew attention, but practical use would depend on making large, durable membranes and keeping their pores clear while managing the water system’s energy demands. The result is best understood as a promising nanoscale proof of concept, with remote, low-power sensing discussed as a possible application rather than a demonstrated deployment.
The EPFL Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology describes ongoing research involving MoS₂ and hBN nanopores, including osmotic power generation. That documents continuing research interest, not commercial availability. EPFL’s nanopore research page provides that group-level context.
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