Zhao Mingqi, Lyu Shanzhi, Ma Yingchao, Zhang Nan, Wang Yapei
School of Chemistry and Life Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China.
Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100082, China.
Adv Sci (Weinh). 2025 Aug;12(30):e03815. doi: 10.1002/advs.202503815. Epub 2025 Jul 9.
Devastating natural disasters are prompting the need for effective early warning systems. The warning systems relying on cables or batteries are much expensive and not suitable for low-lying areas or remote environments. This research proposes a water-triggered sensor that has no energy consumption in dry conditions while becoming activated in the presence of water. The sensor is self-powered by a switchable galvanic battery which is made of two metallic electrodes isolated by an ion-loaded xerogel. When the battery is subjected to a water environment, the rapid hydration of the xerogel arouses the redox reaction between two electrodes, subsequently outputting the electrical power to trigger the sensing system associated with timely signal generation and transmission. To ensure adequate stability and durability against the ambient humidity variation, the battery is sealed with a polymer coat which is inert to the moisture but permeable to water. Since the sensor can be built on a paper base, it is suitable for Miura origami which is beneficial for improving the output power and minimizing the sensor size. Outdoor experiments confirm that the sensor is able to rapidly discriminate floods and warn nearby people and remote-control centers.
毁灭性的自然灾害促使人们需要有效的早期预警系统。依靠电缆或电池的预警系统成本高昂，且不适用于低洼地区或偏远环境。本研究提出了一种水触发传感器，该传感器在干燥条件下无能量消耗，而在有水的情况下会被激活。该传感器由一个可切换的原电池自供电，该原电池由两个被离子负载干凝胶隔开的金属电极制成。当电池置于水环境中时，干凝胶的快速水合作用引发两个电极之间的氧化还原反应，随后输出电能以触发与及时信号生成和传输相关的传感系统。为确保在环境湿度变化下具有足够的稳定性和耐久性，电池用聚合物涂层密封，该涂层对水分呈惰性但对水具有渗透性。由于该传感器可以构建在纸质基底上，因此适用于三浦折纸，这有利于提高输出功率并最小化传感器尺寸。户外实验证实，该传感器能够快速识别洪水并向附近人员和远程控制中心发出警报。
