NUS team creates device that generates electricity from air moisture
Researchers from the National University of Singapore have developed a new moisture-driven electricity generation device made of a thin layer of fabric, sea salt, carbon ink, and a special water-absorbing gel.
According to NUS, moisture-driven electricity generation (MEG) has received interest due to its potential in applications including wearable electronics, electronic skin sensors, and information storage devices.
Key challenges of current MEG technologies include water saturation when exposed to ambient humidity and unsatisfactory electrical performance.
To overcome these challenges, a research team led by Assistant Professor Tan Swee Ching from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering devised a novel MEG device containing two regions of different properties to continuously maintain a difference in water content across the regions to generate electricity and allow for electrical output for hundreds of hours.
Findings from the team at NUS’ College of Design and Engineering (CDE) were published in Advanced Materials in May 2022.
The MEG device consists of a thin layer of fabric (about 0.3mm thick) coated with carbon nanoparticles. In their study, the team used a commercially available fabric made of wood pulp and polyester.
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