All-Weather-Compatible Hydrovoltaic Cells Based on Al2O3 TLC Plates

Electrical power can be extracted from interactions at the interface of water/materials, known as the hydrovoltaic phenomenon. Devices based on this emerging technology hold a lot of promise for meeting renewable energy demands, but materials reported to date largely require specific weather conditions, such as low humidity (similar to 10-30%), thus hindering widespread application. Herein, we report a new use of plates for thin layer chromatography (TLC) that provide a continuous support of capillary-driven water flow. When coated with alpha-Al2O3, this simple 8 cm(2) device can produce a continuous voltage of similar to 0.33 V and a short circuit current of similar to 0.85 mu A over a wide range of humidity (10-90%). Low cost, stability against surface reactions, ease of fabrication, and power output under varied weather conditions make this device a realistic possibility for use in renewable power generation applications.

Automated summary

This study introduces a new use of plates for thin layer chromatography (TLC) coated with alpha-Al2O3, which can provide continuous voltage and short circuit current under various humidity conditions. The device offers advantages such as low cost, high stability against surface reactions, easy fabrication, and power output under different weather conditions, making it a realistic possibility for use in renewable power generation applications.