Guo Chenyue, Tang Huajie, Wang Pengfei, Xu Qihao, Pan Haodan, Zhao Xinyu, Fan Fan, Li Tingxian, Zhao Dongliang
School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Nat Commun. 2024 Jul 19;15(1):6100. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-50396-9.
Harvesting electricity from ubiquitous water vapor represents a promising route to alleviate the energy crisis. However, existing studies rarely comprehensively consider the impact of natural environmental fluctuations on electrical output. Here, we demonstrate a bilayer polymer enabling self-sustaining and highly efficient moisture-electric generation from the hydrological cycle by establishing a stable internal directed water/ion flow through thermal exchange with the ambient environment. Specifically, the radiative cooling effect of the hydrophobic top layer prevents the excessive daytime evaporation from solar absorption while accelerating nighttime moisture sorption. The introduction of LiCl into the bottom hygroscopic ionic hydrogel enhances moisture sorption capacity and facilitates ion transport, thus ensuring efficient energy conversion. A single device unit (1 cm) can continuously generate a voltage of ~0.88 V and a current of ~306 μA, delivering a maximum power density of ~51 μW cm at 25 °C and 70% relative humidity (RH). The device has been demonstrated to operate steadily outdoors for continuous 6 days.
从无处不在的水蒸气中获取电能是缓解能源危机的一条很有前景的途径。然而，现有研究很少全面考虑自然环境波动对电力输出的影响。在此，我们展示了一种双层聚合物，通过与周围环境进行热交换建立稳定的内部定向水/离子流，从而能够从水文循环中实现自我维持且高效的湿气发电。具体而言，疏水顶层的辐射冷却效应可防止白天因太阳吸收而过度蒸发，同时加速夜间的水分吸附。在底部吸湿离子水凝胶中引入LiCl可提高吸湿能力并促进离子传输，从而确保高效的能量转换。单个器件单元（1厘米）在25°C和70%相对湿度（RH）下可连续产生约0.88 V的电压和约306 μA的电流，最大功率密度约为51 μW/cm²。该器件已被证明可在户外稳定运行6天。
