A fibrous hydroelectric generator derived from eco-friendly sodium alginate for low-grade energy harvesting

Abstract

With the development of renewable energy technologies, the recovery and utilization of low-grade energy based on hydroelectric effect have drawn much attention owing to its environmental friendliness. Herein, a novel hydroelectric generator utilizing sodium alginate-graphene oxide (SA-GO) fibers is proposed, which is eco-friendly and low-cost. These fibers with a length of 5 cm and a diameter of 0.15 mm can generate an open circuit voltage (V_oc) of approximately 0.25 V and a short circuit current (I_sc) of 4 μA. By connecting SA-GO fibers in either series or parallel, this combination can power some electronic devices. Furthermore, these fibers enable the recovery of low-grade energy from the atmosphere or around the human body. Both experimental and theoretical analysis confirm that the directional flow of protons driven by water molecules is the main mechanism for power generation of SA-GO fibers. This study not only presents a simple energy transformation method that is expected to be applied to our daily life, but also provides a novel idea for the design of humidity electricity-generation devices.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

fibrous hydroelectric generator / sodium alginate (SA) / graphene oxide (GO) / power generation

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