Patterned Coating of Ionic Diode Arrays Toward Flexible Moist‐Electric Generators to Power Wireless Sensor Nodes

• Published in: Advanced functional materials Vol. 34; no. 9
• Main Authors: Yao, Yuming, Lu, Xulei, Fu, Chunqiao, Zhang, Yong, Fang, Jiahao, Qin, Jieyang, He, Qi‐Chang, Yang, Tingting
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.02.2024; Wiley
• Subjects: Aluminum oxide; Arrays; Carbon nanotubes; Electric generators; Engineering Sciences; Generators; hydrovoltaic; Inks; Internet of Things; ion doide; large‐scale manufacture; Liquid metals; Moisture; moisture‐electric generator; Nodes; patterned coating; Power management; Power sources; Wireless sensor networks
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202311465

Ubiquitous moisture is attractive for developing sustainable mobile power sources. However, how to endow moisture‐electric generators (MEGs) with fine design, mass customization, high power output, and foldability is still a largely unsolved problem. In this work, based on the Patterned Coating method, use is made of modulated carbon nanotube, nano‐Al2O3, and liquid metal inks to design and fabricate MEGs with properties required for their applications. A single MEG of the ionic diode type thus fabricated can generate an open‐circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.03 V and a short‐circuit current density (JSC) of 47.77 µA cm−2. Through large‐area integrated fabrication, an array containing 160 MEGs can generate a VOC of 154.1 V, and an array containing 100 MEGs can produce a short‐circuit current of 1.95 mA. In addition, the excellent wearability of MEG is verified by analyzing its electrical output performance after subjecting it to 800 cycles of bending deformations. The simple and cost‐saving fabrication technology issued from the work opens new perspectives for MEG applications and paves a path to their industrialization. For example, the customizable ionic diode arrays can meet the on‐demand power supply requirements of wireless sensor network nodes in the Internet of Things. A simple strategy for large‐area integration of ion diode arrays through a coated patterning process is proposed, which enables the moisture‐electric generators to have the advantages of customizable high power output, good flexibility, and low cost. It can meet the on‐demand power supply needs of wireless sensor network nodes in the Internet of Things.