Improving Moist-Electric Generator Stability and Performance by Enhancing Interfacial Activity With Crosslinked Aminated Carbon Dots

Abstract

Moisture-electric generation (MEG) holds promise for sustainable energy, but it usually suffers from low output and poor stability. Herein, we report a high-performance MEG device fabricated by depositing aminated carbon dots (CDs) onto a flexible fabric substrate. A key improvement involves a thermal-induced crosslinking strategy, where heat treatment triggers covalent bonding between aminated CDs and the substrate. This process creates a stable network that enhances interfacial adhesion, removes inactive groups, and inhibits CDs migration, thereby promoting sustained moisture adsorption and efficient hydroxide ion transport, collectively boosting electrical output and device stability. Consequently, the thermal treated device delivers a markedly increased output voltage of 0.90 V, surpassing the 0.56 V of the untreated control. Moreover, the device exhibits outstanding flexibility, wash fastness, and long-term durability, maintaining stable electrical output for up to 120 h. We further demonstrate that multiple devices can be integrated into a scalable power system via series/parallel circuits, highlighting their practical potential for real-world energy harvesting.

Keywords

aminated carbon dots / distributed energy / moisture-electric generation / wearable flexible devices

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2026 The Authors. Carbon Neutralization published by Wenzhou University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.