Self-powered electrochemical sensors

Self-powered electrochemical sensors (SPES) produce the energy they need to work, ideally making external power sources redundant. Self-powered sensors combine the selectivity of sensors with the construction simplicity of power sources. In contrast to conventional electrochemical sensors, which involve three electrodes (working, auxiliary, and reference electrodes), self-powered sensors only require two electrodes (anode and cathode). However, their power outputs remain low and limit their introduction in IoT and m-Health applications. New trends are mainly driven by the search for higher energy electrodes, mainly from the field of batteries, photoelectrochemical systems, the introduction of capacitors to increase sensitivity and power output, and the use of (bio) degradable materials to reduce the environmental footprint of these devices.

Automated summary

Self-powered electrochemical sensors combine the selectivity of sensors with the simplicity of power sources. However, their low power outputs limit their applications in IoT and m-Health. Current research focuses on finding higher energy electrodes, introducing photoelectrochemical systems, using capacitors to increase sensitivity and power output, and using degradable materials to reduce environmental impact.