Water-induced electricity generation as an emerging novel sustainable energy harvesting technology has become a hot research topic recently. Here, we develop a ceramic (SiO2) nanofiber-based water-induced electric generator via the sol-gel electrospinning technique, followed by calcination, which exhibits superior water-induced electricity generation property with significant softness. This superior performance of the SiO2 nanofiber-based generator may be attributed to two aspects: the electrokinetic effect generated by water evaporation force and the ion gradient formed between the top and bottom electrodes. The SiO2 nanofiber-based generator is capable of supplying a continuous voltage and current output of 0.48 V and 0.37 μA, respectively, without weakening after 500 times of bending. Moreover, the high voltage and current output generated by the water-induced generator can be realized in series or parallel and has practical applications, such as in a commercial digital calculator. This environmentally friendly generator, with its low cost, provides great potential for future green energy utilization and opens up new possibilities for portable electronics.
Keywords: ceramic nanofiber; flexible; freestanding; streaming potential, electrokinetic effect; water-induced electricity generation.