Enhancing the Performance of Fluorinated Graphdiyne Moisture Cells via Hard Acid-Base Coordination of Aluminum Ions

Moisture-enabled electric generators (MEGs) are emerging as a transformative energy technology, capable of directly converting ambient moisture into electrical energy without producing pollutants or harmful emissions. However, the widespread application of MEGs is hindered by challenges such as intermittent output and low current densities, which limit power density and prevent large-scale integration. Here, a novel moisture cell based on Al ion-F coordination—specifically, a fluorinated graphdiyne (FGDY) Al-ion moisture cell (FGDY AlMC) is introduced. This new moisture cell achieves an exceptionally high mass-specific power density of 371.36 µW g⁻¹, stable output (0.65 V for 15 h), and broad applicability across varying humid environments. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the large-pore molecular structure of FGDY significantly reduces the diffusion barriers for Al ions compared to other 2D carbon materials. Furthermore, the F atoms as “hard base” on FGDY effectively coordinate with “hard acid” Al ions, enhancing ionic conductivity, accelerating ion migration, and promoting the generation of a higher number of mobile cations. These combined advantages lead to a marked improvement in the performance of the FGDY AlMC. These findings position Al ion coordinated FGDY as a highly promising candidate for the development of high-performance MEG active materials.