Plastic thermo-electrochemical ceils （thermocells） involving aqueous potassium ferricyanide/ferrocyanide electrolyte have been investigated as an alternative to conventional thermoelectrics for thermal energy harves...Plastic thermo-electrochemical ceils （thermocells） involving aqueous potassium ferricyanide/ferrocyanide electrolyte have been investigated as an alternative to conventional thermoelectrics for thermal energy harvesting. Plastic thermocells that consist of all pliable materials such as polyethylene terephthalate （PET）, fabrics, and wires are flexible enough to be wearable on the human body and to be wrapped around cylindrical shapes. The performance of the thermocells is enhanced by incorporating carbon nanotubes into activated carbon textiles, due to improved charge transfer at the interface. In cold weather conditions （a surrounding temperature of 5 ℃）, the thermocell generates a short-circuit current density of 0.39 A/m2 and maximum power density of 0.46 mW/m2 from body heat （temperature of 36℃）. For practical use, we have shown that the thermocell charges up a capacitor when worn on a T-shirt by a person. We also have demonstrated that the electrical energy generated from waste pipe heat using a serial array of the thermocells and voltage converters can power a typical commercial light emitting diode （LED）.展开更多
Efficiently harvesting low-grade heat is crucial for sustainable energy management. Thermocells(TECs), inducing heat-toelectricity conversion via the thermogalvanic effect, have thus drawn tremendous attention in rece...Efficiently harvesting low-grade heat is crucial for sustainable energy management. Thermocells(TECs), inducing heat-toelectricity conversion via the thermogalvanic effect, have thus drawn tremendous attention in recent years. This study introduces a self-assembly approach for fabricating aerogel sheet electrodes(ASEs) tailored for TECs. The crafted ASEs retain a remarkable porous architecture with approximately 95% porosity, even with their slimmed-down thickness. Results reveal that the electrode composition has minimal influence on the thermopower of TECs. Notably, the porous ASE with tunned composition demonstrates an optimal effective surface area for the thermogalvanic effect, resulting in enhanced output current density. This balances the desirable traits of electrode compactness with abundant redox active sites, positioning it favorably against conventional bulky electrode designs. The TECs utilizing the optimized ASE achieve a peak output power of 22.10 μW cm^(-2)under a temperature difference of 30 K. Furthermore, a tubular TEC device is readily assembled and specially designed for harvesting heat energy from hot fluids. These findings underscore the potential of composite electrodes in the realm of low-grade heat harvest, paving the way for broader applications in sustainable energy solutions.展开更多
Thermal energy is ubiquitous and constantly generated in nature and society.Thermocells(TECs)represent a promising energyconversion technology that can directly translate thermal energy into electricity with a large t...Thermal energy is ubiquitous and constantly generated in nature and society.Thermocells(TECs)represent a promising energyconversion technology that can directly translate thermal energy into electricity with a large thermopower,thus having attracted considerable attention in recent years.Nevertheless,the use of noble platinum electrodes in TECs has substantially limited their widespread applications,as the scarcity of platinum element increases the cost of materials,and its intrinsic rigidity is not conducive to flexible and wearable applications under heat sources with complex surface geometry.Herein,we propose a facile hybridizing route to constructing flexible electrodes with optimized nanostructures.The flexible composite electrode is fabricated by decorating a single-walled carbon nanotube network with conducting polypyrrole nanospheres through controlled electrochemical deposition.With refined interfacial nanostructures,the resultant composite film can facilitate carrier transport/transfer at the electrolyte-electrode interface,and thereby shows superior overall thermoelectrochemical performance to noble platinum electrode.The TEC employing the flexible composite electrodes yields a maximum output power of 2.555μW under the temperature difference of 30 K,and a device comprising 6 TEC units is assembled to efficiently utilize waste heat and human body heat,revealing the high potential of low-grade heat harvesting.展开更多
The evolution of wearable technology has prompted the need for adaptive,self-healable,and energy-autonomous energy devices.This study innovatively addresses this challenge by introducing an MXene-boosted hydrogel elec...The evolution of wearable technology has prompted the need for adaptive,self-healable,and energy-autonomous energy devices.This study innovatively addresses this challenge by introducing an MXene-boosted hydrogel electrolyte,which expedites the assembly process of flexible thermocell(TEC)arrays and thus circumvents the complicated fabrication of typical wearable electronics.Our findings underscore the hydrogel electrolyte’s superior thermoelectrochemical performance under substantial deformations and repeated self-healing cycles.The resulting hydrogel-based TEC yields a maximum power output of 1032.1 nW under theΔT of 20 K when being stretched to 500%for 1000 cycles,corresponding to 80%of its initial state;meanwhile,it sustains 1179.1 nW under theΔT of 20 K even after 60 cuthealing cycles,approximately 92%of its initial state.The as-assembled TEC array exhibits device-level self-healing capability and high adaptability to human body.It is readily applied for touch-based encrypted communication where distinct voltage signals can be converted into alphabet letters;it is also employed as a self-powered sensor to in-situ monitor a variety of body motions for complex human actions.The swift assembly approach,combined with the versatile functionality of the TEC device,paves the way for future advancements in wearable electronics targeting at fitness monitoring and human–machine interfaces.展开更多
The design of power supply systems for wearable applications requires both flexibility and durability.Thermoelectrochemical cells(TECs)with large Seebeck coefficient can efficiently convert lowgrade heat into electric...The design of power supply systems for wearable applications requires both flexibility and durability.Thermoelectrochemical cells(TECs)with large Seebeck coefficient can efficiently convert lowgrade heat into electricity,thus having attracted considerable attention in recent years.Utilizing hydrogel electrolyte essentially addresses the electrolyte leakage and complicated packaging issues existing in conventional liquid-based TECs,which well satisfies the need for flexibility.Whereas,the concern of mechanical robustness to ensure stable energy output remains yet to be addressed.Herein,a flexible quasisolid-state TEC is proposed based on the rational design of a hydrogel electrolyte,of which the thermogalvanic effect and mechanical robustness are simultaneously regulated via the multivalent ions of a redox couple.The introduced redox ions not only endow the hydrogel with excellent heat-to-electricity conversion capability,but also act as ionic crosslinks to afford a dual-crosslinked structure,resulting in reversible bonds for effective energy dissipation.The optimized TEC exhibits a high Seebeck coefficient of 1.43 mV K−1 and a significantly improved fracture toughness of 3555 J m^(−2),thereby can maintain a stable thermoelectrochemical performance against various harsh mechanical stimuli.This study reveals the high potential of the quasi-solid-state TEC as a flexible and durable energy supply system for wearable applications.展开更多
文摘Plastic thermo-electrochemical ceils （thermocells） involving aqueous potassium ferricyanide/ferrocyanide electrolyte have been investigated as an alternative to conventional thermoelectrics for thermal energy harvesting. Plastic thermocells that consist of all pliable materials such as polyethylene terephthalate （PET）, fabrics, and wires are flexible enough to be wearable on the human body and to be wrapped around cylindrical shapes. The performance of the thermocells is enhanced by incorporating carbon nanotubes into activated carbon textiles, due to improved charge transfer at the interface. In cold weather conditions （a surrounding temperature of 5 ℃）, the thermocell generates a short-circuit current density of 0.39 A/m2 and maximum power density of 0.46 mW/m2 from body heat （temperature of 36℃）. For practical use, we have shown that the thermocell charges up a capacitor when worn on a T-shirt by a person. We also have demonstrated that the electrical energy generated from waste pipe heat using a serial array of the thermocells and voltage converters can power a typical commercial light emitting diode （LED）.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52103089, 52242305)Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2023A1515012120)+1 种基金Shenzhen Science and Technology Program (JCYJ20220531100815035, RCBS202210-08093126069)the Opening Project of State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering (sklpme2022-4-08)。
文摘Efficiently harvesting low-grade heat is crucial for sustainable energy management. Thermocells(TECs), inducing heat-toelectricity conversion via the thermogalvanic effect, have thus drawn tremendous attention in recent years. This study introduces a self-assembly approach for fabricating aerogel sheet electrodes(ASEs) tailored for TECs. The crafted ASEs retain a remarkable porous architecture with approximately 95% porosity, even with their slimmed-down thickness. Results reveal that the electrode composition has minimal influence on the thermopower of TECs. Notably, the porous ASE with tunned composition demonstrates an optimal effective surface area for the thermogalvanic effect, resulting in enhanced output current density. This balances the desirable traits of electrode compactness with abundant redox active sites, positioning it favorably against conventional bulky electrode designs. The TECs utilizing the optimized ASE achieve a peak output power of 22.10 μW cm^(-2)under a temperature difference of 30 K. Furthermore, a tubular TEC device is readily assembled and specially designed for harvesting heat energy from hot fluids. These findings underscore the potential of composite electrodes in the realm of low-grade heat harvest, paving the way for broader applications in sustainable energy solutions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52103089)the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2023A1515012120)+1 种基金the Shenzhen Science and Technology Program(JCYJ20220531100815035,RCBS2022100-8093126069)the Opening Project of State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering(sklpme2022-4-08)。
文摘Thermal energy is ubiquitous and constantly generated in nature and society.Thermocells(TECs)represent a promising energyconversion technology that can directly translate thermal energy into electricity with a large thermopower,thus having attracted considerable attention in recent years.Nevertheless,the use of noble platinum electrodes in TECs has substantially limited their widespread applications,as the scarcity of platinum element increases the cost of materials,and its intrinsic rigidity is not conducive to flexible and wearable applications under heat sources with complex surface geometry.Herein,we propose a facile hybridizing route to constructing flexible electrodes with optimized nanostructures.The flexible composite electrode is fabricated by decorating a single-walled carbon nanotube network with conducting polypyrrole nanospheres through controlled electrochemical deposition.With refined interfacial nanostructures,the resultant composite film can facilitate carrier transport/transfer at the electrolyte-electrode interface,and thereby shows superior overall thermoelectrochemical performance to noble platinum electrode.The TEC employing the flexible composite electrodes yields a maximum output power of 2.555μW under the temperature difference of 30 K,and a device comprising 6 TEC units is assembled to efficiently utilize waste heat and human body heat,revealing the high potential of low-grade heat harvesting.
基金support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52103089)Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2023A1515012120)+2 种基金Shenzhen Science and Technology Program(JCYJ20220531100815035,RCBS20221008093126069)the Opening Project of State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering(Grant No.sklpme2022-4-08)the Instrumental Analysis Center of Shenzhen University(Lihu Campus)for their assistance with SEM characterization.
文摘The evolution of wearable technology has prompted the need for adaptive,self-healable,and energy-autonomous energy devices.This study innovatively addresses this challenge by introducing an MXene-boosted hydrogel electrolyte,which expedites the assembly process of flexible thermocell(TEC)arrays and thus circumvents the complicated fabrication of typical wearable electronics.Our findings underscore the hydrogel electrolyte’s superior thermoelectrochemical performance under substantial deformations and repeated self-healing cycles.The resulting hydrogel-based TEC yields a maximum power output of 1032.1 nW under theΔT of 20 K when being stretched to 500%for 1000 cycles,corresponding to 80%of its initial state;meanwhile,it sustains 1179.1 nW under theΔT of 20 K even after 60 cuthealing cycles,approximately 92%of its initial state.The as-assembled TEC array exhibits device-level self-healing capability and high adaptability to human body.It is readily applied for touch-based encrypted communication where distinct voltage signals can be converted into alphabet letters;it is also employed as a self-powered sensor to in-situ monitor a variety of body motions for complex human actions.The swift assembly approach,combined with the versatile functionality of the TEC device,paves the way for future advancements in wearable electronics targeting at fitness monitoring and human–machine interfaces.
基金The authors acknowledge the financial support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52103089)Foundation for Distinguished Young Talents in Higher Education of Guangdong,China(Project No.2020KQNCX061)+1 种基金the financial support by Shenzhen Fundamental Research Program(No.JCYJ20200109105604088)Open access funding provided by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
文摘The design of power supply systems for wearable applications requires both flexibility and durability.Thermoelectrochemical cells(TECs)with large Seebeck coefficient can efficiently convert lowgrade heat into electricity,thus having attracted considerable attention in recent years.Utilizing hydrogel electrolyte essentially addresses the electrolyte leakage and complicated packaging issues existing in conventional liquid-based TECs,which well satisfies the need for flexibility.Whereas,the concern of mechanical robustness to ensure stable energy output remains yet to be addressed.Herein,a flexible quasisolid-state TEC is proposed based on the rational design of a hydrogel electrolyte,of which the thermogalvanic effect and mechanical robustness are simultaneously regulated via the multivalent ions of a redox couple.The introduced redox ions not only endow the hydrogel with excellent heat-to-electricity conversion capability,but also act as ionic crosslinks to afford a dual-crosslinked structure,resulting in reversible bonds for effective energy dissipation.The optimized TEC exhibits a high Seebeck coefficient of 1.43 mV K−1 and a significantly improved fracture toughness of 3555 J m^(−2),thereby can maintain a stable thermoelectrochemical performance against various harsh mechanical stimuli.This study reveals the high potential of the quasi-solid-state TEC as a flexible and durable energy supply system for wearable applications.
