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Hu T, Zhang K, Deng W, Guo W. Hydrovoltaic Effects from Mechanical-Electric Coupling at the Water-Solid Interface. ACS NANO 2024; 18:23912-23940. [PMID: 39168863 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c07900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
The natural water cycle on the Earth carries an enormous amount of energy as thirty-five percent of solar energy reaching the Earth's surface goes into water. However, only a very marginal part of the contained energy, mostly kinetic energy of large volume bulk water, is harvested by hydroelectric power plants. Natural processes in the water cycle, such as rainfall, water evaporation, and moisture adsorption, are widespread but have remained underexploited in the past due to the lack of appropriate technologies. In the past decade, the emergence of hydrovoltaic technology has provided ever-increasing opportunities to extend the technical capability for energy harvesting from the water cycle. Featuring electricity generation from mechanical-electric coupling at the water-solid interface, hydrovoltaic technology embraces almost all dynamic processes associated with water, including raining, waving, flowing, evaporating, and moisture adsorbing. This versatility in dealing with various forms of water and associated energy renders hydrovoltaic technology a solution for fossil fuel-caused environmental problems. Here, we review the current progress of hydrovoltaic energy harvesting from water motion, evaporation, and ambient moisture. Device configuration, energy conversion mechanism mediated by mechanical-electric coupling at various water-solid interfaces, as well as materials selection and functionalization are discussed. Useful strategies guided by established mechanisms for device optimization are then covered. Finally, we provide an outlook on this emerging field and outline the challenges of improving output performance toward potential practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
- College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
| | - Kelan Zhang
- Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
| | - Wei Deng
- Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
| | - Wanlin Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
- College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
- Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
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Xia H, Zhou W, Qu X, Wang W, Wang X, Qiao R, Zhang Y, Wu X, Yang C, Ding B, Hu LY, Ran Y, Yu K, Hu S, Li JF, Cheng HM, Qiu H, Yin J, Guo W, Qiu L. Electricity generated by upstream proton diffusion in two-dimensional nanochannels. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 19:1316-1322. [PMID: 39009756 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-024-01691-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
The movement of ions along the pressure-driven water flow in narrow channels, known as downstream ionic transport, has been observed since 1859 to induce a streaming potential and has enabled the creation of various hydrovoltaic devices. In contrast, here we demonstrate that proton movement opposing the water flow in two-dimensional nanochannels of MXene/poly(vinyl alcohol) films, termed upstream proton diffusion, can also generate electricity. The infiltrated water into the channel causes the dissociation of protons from functional groups on the channel surface, resulting in a high proton concentration inside the channel that drives the upstream proton diffusion. Combined with the particularly sluggish water diffusion in the channels, a small water droplet of 5 µl can generate a voltage of ~400 mV for over 330 min. Benefiting from the ultrathin and flexible nature of the film, a wearable device is built for collecting energy from human skin sweat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heyi Xia
- Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Institute of Materials Research (IMR), Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
- Department of Materials Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wanqi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyue Qu
- Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Institute of Materials Research (IMR), Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenbo Wang
- Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Institute of Materials Research (IMR), Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruixi Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongkang Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications, Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Wu
- Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Institute of Materials Research (IMR), Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuang Yang
- Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Institute of Materials Research (IMR), Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Baofu Ding
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Energy Materials for Carbon Neutrality, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Ling-Yun Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Ran
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications, Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Kuang Yu
- Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Institute of Materials Research (IMR), Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Sheng Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Feng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui-Ming Cheng
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Energy Materials for Carbon Neutrality, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
- Faculty of Materials Science and Energy Engineering, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Hu Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jun Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wanlin Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ling Qiu
- Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Institute of Materials Research (IMR), Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
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Hu T, Li X, Wang X, Sheng H, Yin J, Guo W. Assessing the Mechanical-to-Electrical Energy Conversion Process of a Droplet Sliding on the Poly(tetrafluoroethylene) Surface. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:1892-1898. [PMID: 38150743 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c15400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Utilizing moving droplets to generate electricity has garnered significant attention due to its high output voltage and power. However, the understanding of energy dissipation and conversion processes during droplet movement remains limited, hindering the development of effective ways to further enhance the device's performance. In this study, we developed a method to simultaneously evaluate the input mechanical energy and output electrical energy while droplets slide on a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) surface to assess the energy conversion process. The influences of ion concentration, droplet volume, and contact area with PTFE on the energy conversion efficiency were investigated, suggesting optimized parameters. Moreover, by introduction of an asymmetric electric field on the PTFE surface, the input mechanical energy can be significantly reduced. In combination with the enhanced electrical output originating from improved surface charge density, the energy conversion efficiency is improved by an order of magnitude from 0.61 to 9.08%. These results shed light on strategies to improve device performance based on moving droplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
- College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
| | - Xuemei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
- College of Material Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
| | - Xiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
- College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
| | - Han Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
- College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
| | - Jun Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
- College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
| | - Wanlin Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
- College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
- Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
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