A One-Structure-Based Multieffects Coupled Nanogenerator for Simultaneously Scavenging Thermal, Solar, and Mechanical Energies

Adv Sci (Weinh). 2017 Dec 8;5(2):1700622. doi: 10.1002/advs.201700622. eCollection 2018 Feb.

Abstract

Rapid advances in various energy harvesters impose the challenge on integrating them into one device structure with synergetic effects for full use of the available energies from the environment. Here, a multieffect coupled nanogenerator based on ferroelectric barium titanate is reported. It promotes the ability to simultaneously scavenging thermal, solar, and mechanical energies. By integration of a pyroelectric nanogenerator, a photovoltaic cell, and a triboelectric-piezoelectric nanogenerator in one structure with only two electrodes, multieffects interact with each other to alter the electric output, and a complementary power source with peak current of ≈1.5 µA, peak voltage of ≈7 V, and platform voltage of ≈6 V is successfully achieved. Compared with traditional hybridized nanogenerators with stacked architectures, the one-structure-based multieffects coupled nanogenerator is smaller, simpler, and less costly, showing prospective in practical applications and represents a new trend of all-in-one multiple energy scavenging.

Keywords: barium titanate; energy scavenging; multieffects; nanogenerators.