Sustainable and portable kapok-based hydroelectric generators with high power density for wearable applications

IF 9.2 2区工程技术 Q1 ENERGY & FUELS

Sustainable Materials and Technologies Pub Date : 2025-09-20 DOI:10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01678

Dawei Zhang , Dezhuang Ji , Baosong Li , Xinyu Wang , Abdallah Kamal , Hongtao Zhang , Kin Liao , Lianxi Zheng

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Natural fibers offer great opportunities for broad sustainable applications due to their unique microstructures and environmental abundance. In this study, we present the Raw-Kapok Cell Generator (RCG), a device that generates electricity through water evaporation based on the raw kapok fibers without the delignification treatment. Benefiting from its hydrophilic inner wall and hydrophobic outer shell, each kapok fiber can act as an individual power unit. By assembling these fibers in an aligned manner, the RCG can achieve an continuous output power density as high as 4.5 μW/cm² after optimizing the physical dimensions, fiber alignment, and packing density. It is also revealed that the continuous electrical output is driven by the contact electrification at water-fiber interface and water evaporation-induced charge migration, which in turn is strongly dependent on fiber microstructures and water transport. This work demonstrates the potential of kapok fibers for eco-friendly and reliable energy generation, representing a green solution of portable power sources for wearable devices.

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可持续和便携式木棉基水力发电机，具有高功率密度，适用于可穿戴应用

天然纤维由于其独特的微观结构和丰富的环境，为广泛的可持续应用提供了巨大的机会。在本研究中，我们提出了一种以未经脱木质素处理的生木棉纤维为基础，通过水蒸发发电的装置——生木棉电池发电机（RCG）。得益于其亲水的内壁和疏水的外壳，每根木棉纤维都可以作为一个单独的动力单元。通过对这些光纤的排列方式进行组装，优化物理尺寸、光纤排列和包装密度，RCG的连续输出功率密度高达4.5 μW/cm2。研究还发现，连续的电输出是由水-纤维界面的接触通电和水蒸发引起的电荷迁移驱动的，而这又强烈依赖于纤维的微观结构和水的输运。这项工作展示了木棉纤维在环保和可靠的能源生产方面的潜力，代表了可穿戴设备便携式电源的绿色解决方案。

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来源期刊

Sustainable Materials and Technologies Energy-Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

CiteScore

13.40

自引率

4.20%

发文量

158

审稿时长

45 days

期刊介绍： Sustainable Materials and Technologies (SM&T), an international, cross-disciplinary, fully open access journal published by Elsevier, focuses on original full-length research articles and reviews. It covers applied or fundamental science of nano-, micro-, meso-, and macro-scale aspects of materials and technologies for sustainable development. SM&T gives special attention to contributions that bridge the knowledge gap between materials and system designs.