The exploitation and utilization of renewable clean energy is of great significance to the sustainable development of society. Electrokinetic energy conversion (EKEC) based on micro/nanochannels is expected to provide immense potential for ocean energy harvesting, self-powered micro/nanodevices, and small portable power supplies through converting environmental energy into electrical energy. Herein, aiming to get a deeper understanding of EKEC based on micro/nanochannels, several classic theoretical models and corresponding calculation equations are introduced briefly. For high efficiency energy conversion, it is essential to clearly discuss the interface properties between the inner surface of the channel and the bulk electrolyte solution. Therefore, we put forward soft interface designs of solid–liquid and liquid–liquid interfaces, and summarize their recent progress. In addition, the different applications of EKEC, harvesting from environmental energy, are further discussed. We hope that this review will attract more scientists’ attention to transform the experimental results of EKEC systems in the lab into available products on shelves.

中文翻译：

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电动能量转换的软界面设计

可再生清洁能源的开发利用对社会的可持续发展具有重要意义。通过将环境能量转换为电能，基于微/纳米通道的电动能量转换（EKEC）有望为海洋能量收集，自供电的微/纳米设备和小型便携式电源提供巨大的潜力。在此，为了更深入地了解基于微/纳米通道的EKEC，简要介绍了几种经典的理论模型和相应的计算公式。为了实现高效率的能量转换，必须清楚地讨论通道内表面和整体电解质溶液之间的界面特性。因此，我们提出了固液界面和液液界面的软界面设计，并总结他们最近的进展。此外，还进一步讨论了从环境能源中获取能量的EKEC的不同应用。我们希望这篇评论会吸引更多的科学家注意，以将实验室中EKEC系统的实验结果转化为货架上可用的产品。