Carbon Nanotube Sheets/Elastomer Bilayer Harvesting Electrode with Biaxially Generated Electrical Energy.

Mechanical energy harvesters made from soft and flexible materials can be employed as energy sources for wearable and implantable devices. However, considering how human organs and joints expand and bend in many directions, the energy generated in response to a mechanical stimulus in only one direction limits the applicability of mechanical energy harvesters. Here, we report carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets/an elastomer bilayer harvesting electrode (CBHE) that converts two-axis mechanical stimulation into electrical energy. The novel microwinkled structure of the CBHE successfully demonstrates an electrochemical double-layer (EDL) capacitance change from biaxial mechanical stimulation, thereby generating electrical power (0.11 W kg). Additionally, the low modulus (0.16 MPa) and high deformability due to the elastomeric substrate suggest that the CBHE can be applied to the human body.