Researchers at Binghamton University in New York have developed a new method of extracting moisture from the air and converting it into electricity.
The team of scientists described their portable paper device that can provide constant and highly efficient production of electricity by capturing moisture.
“I was interested in this topic because moisture in our air is ubiquitous, and I understood that harvesting energy from moisture is very simple,” explained Binghamton University professor Sohen «Sean» Choi.
“The capillaries of the paper absorb the spores, creating a gradient with more positive ions up than down. This imbalance leads to an electrical charge. Adding a layer of paper that is hydrophobic on one side and hydrophilic on the other improves moisture absorption. This layer attracts water molecules and keeps them inside the device until they are processed,” said Choi, reports Noi.md with reference to .
Thanks to this research, devices could be created that are made entirely of paper, flexible, portable and disposable, without harming the environment.
In particular, Choi believes such a wet electric generator is revolutionary for low-power devices, drug delivery or electrical stimulation.
