Molecule‐Driven Nanoenergy Generator

Abstract

In this study, we demonstrate that a large potential can be generated when one end of 1D and/or 2D semiconducting nanostructures such as zinc oxide (ZnO) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) is exposed to a wide species of chemical molecules. In particular, single-crystalline semiconductor ZnO NW arrays are chosen as the functional media to generate electricity from various molecules including gaseous species from human breath, and to drive a single CNT field-effect transistor (FET). They are biocompatible and have fast electron transfer kinetics, [12] and the crystal facets of ZnO including the top polar (0001) or (0001 ) and side nonpolar (1010) surfaces can actively interact with various molecules. [13] The magnitude of the voltage generated by ZnO NWs is about one order of magnitude larger than the typical streaming or piezoelectric potentials. The notion of voltage generation through moleculesurface interactions has the advantages of simplicity, costeffectiveness, fast response to a wide range of molecules, and high power output, making our approach a promising tool in energy conversion and sensing applications. Nanoenergy Generators www.advancedsciencenews.com

Emerging Materials for Water-Enabled Electricity Generation

“…The lower the p K a value is, the more protons can be generated at the same concentration and volume. For example, GO typically presents a p K a value of ∼3, which is attributed to its abundant hydroxy and carboxyl groups, whereas PSS with a sulfonic acid group shows a representative p K a of ∼1, indicating that more protons can be generated from the latter and leads to prominent ionic conductivity. In addition, doping active ions into the base material will increase the number of mobile ions, greatly reducing the transport barrier and providing more active sites for ion transport, thus remarkably strengthening the corresponding ionic conductivity.…”

“…Diverse materials for high-performance MEG have been developed, including carbon-based materials, ,,,,− inorganic material, − polymers, ,,− and others. − Generally, carbon-based materials, such as GO and porous carbon, show great advantages in the huge surface area and abundant assemblies, applicable to widespread conditions. For example, GO can be easily shaped into films and fibers, acting as wearable electronics or being woven into fabrics with excellent flexibility.…”

“…However, GO-based MEGs display poor cycling stability, especially in porous structures, which should be attributed to its inferior instability under humid conditions in which the functional groups are gradually evolved and react with water. In this respect, inorganic materials, such as ZnO and TiO 2 , , with their crystalline structures and remarkable resistance to water, can overcome above problems. Another serious limitation is the collapse of porous structures resulting from the emergence of strong capillary forces when moisture has been absorbed.…”

Enhanced Electricity Generation from Graphene Microfluidic Channels for Self-Powered Flexible Sensors

“…As the droplet moves on the graphene, electrons are drawn and released from the graphene under two moving boundaries of the electrical double layer (EDL). The induced voltage is formed in graphene by charge and discharge of pseudocapacitance at the front and rear of droplet, respectively. , In addition to carbon nanomaterials being used to develop hydrovoltaic generators, various materials are introduced to improve performance and to investigate its electricity generation mechanism, such as MoS 2 , metal oxide films, Cu x O nanowires, and Ti 4 O 7 . The performance is also enhanced because of the strong negative triboelectric potential of PTFE substrate, which highlights the importance of substrate effect. − Nevertheless, the variation of droplet behavior caused by the device structure is barely considered, which is an inevitable and crucial step in the microscopic power generation process, and its influence on induced voltage cannot be ignored.…”

“…The induced voltage is formed in graphene by charge and discharge of pseudocapacitance at the front and rear of droplet, respectively. 10,11 In addition to carbon nanomaterials being used to develop hydrovoltaic generators, various materials are introduced to improve performance and to investigate its electricity generation mechanism, such as MoS 2 , 12 metal oxide films, 13 Cu x O nanowires, 14 and Ti 4 O 7 . 15 The performance is also enhanced because of the strong negative triboelectric potential of PTFE substrate, which highlights the importance of substrate effect.…”