A self-charging device with bionic self-cleaning interface for energy harvesting

In recent years, the agricultural Internet of Things (IoT) has been developing rapidly, but the corresponding long-term sustainable and efficient power source for sensors in IoT is still under researching. In this work, an integrated self-cleaning and self-charging device capable of harvesting energy from the swinging crop leaves and raindrops was developed based on laser-induced graphene (LIG) technology, which consists of a multi-operating mode triboelectric nanogenerator (MTENG) and a micro-supercapacitor (MSC). Moreover, the lotus leaf-like bionic structure formed on the device surface based on the template method gives the device the characteristics of waterproof and self-cleaning, so that the device can maintain stable output in a humid environment. Outstanding flexibility, strong self-cleaning effect, stable electrical output, and high integration make this self-charging device possess the potential to replace traditional energy sources for agricultural IoT sensors.