Thermogalvanic hydrogel electrolyte for harvesting biothermal energy enabled by a novel redox couple of SO4/3 2-ions

Thermoelectric hydrogels can be used as energy conversion devices to convert low-grade heat into practical electricity for sustainable energy supply. However, current redox couple-based thermogalvanic gel electrolytes contain toxic metal elements, limiting their non-toxic and environmentally sustainable development. Here, a stretchable, flexible gel thermoelectric device is created by introducing a novel non-toxic redox couple of SO42-/ SO32-for the first time, which exhibits a high Seebeck coefficient (Se) of 1.63 mV K-1 at the optimal redox couple concentration of 0.1 M. The tensile/compressive stress and deformation at break of the hydrogel electrolyte achieves a superior index due to the hybrid structure formed between PEDOT: PSS and SO42-/SO32-ion-promoted crosslinking PVA network. By subtly doping additional electrolyte ions, the gel affords a favorable ionic con-ductivity and thermoelectric performance. Furthermore, this PVA-SO4/3 2-hydrogel shows the capacity of har-vesting biothermal energy for operating small electronics at body temperature. This work breaks with conventional redox couples and represents a step towards green sustainable self-powered wearables using a new redox couple with a favorable thermoelectric performance.

Automated summary

A novel non-toxic redox couple of SO42-/SO32- is introduced to create a stretchable, flexible gel thermoelectric device with a high Seebeck coefficient of 1.63 mV K-1 at the optimal redox couple concentration of 0.1 M. The hybrid structure formed between PEDOT: PSS and SO42-/SO32-ion-promoted crosslinking PVA network contributes to the superior tensile/compressive stress and deformation at break of the hydrogel electrolyte. By doping additional electrolyte ions, the gel exhibits favorable ionic conductivity and thermoelectric performance. Moreover, the PVA-SO4/3 2-hydrogel demonstrates the ability to harvest biothermal energy for operating small electronics at body temperature, showing potential for green sustainable self-powered wearables.