Collective Electricity Generation over the Kilovolt Level from Water Droplets

Abstract

Collective behavior enables groups of organisms to achieve feats far exceeding individual capability. Inspired by this, we present a novel droplet-based electricity generator that leverages the collective dynamics of multiple water droplets to significantly enhance electrical output, achieving orders of magnitude improvement compared with single-droplet devices. It is revealed that grouped water droplets, although spatially separated, coordinate via charge exchange with a solid surface and external charge transfer. Consequently, the solid surface charge density is significantly enhanced, elevating the charge transfer. This collective effect readily generates peak voltages exceeding one kilovolt, sufficient for air ionization and nitrogen fixation, with potential applications in nutrient production. We anticipate that this collective strategy will significantly advance the design and applications of droplet-based hydrovoltaic devices.