Development of graphene oxide based moist-electric generation device

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Embargoed until 2025-02-09
Copyright: Hu, Guangyu
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Abstract
With the evolution of ever-changing intelligent electronics and the increasingly severe electricity shortages, substantial efforts have been made to explore new technologies for powering electronics. Moist-electric generation (MEG) devices, which can extract chemical energy in moisture to generate electricity, have attracted intensive interest. However, the electric outputs of the most reported MEG devices are still low. Herein, we present a novel strategy of coupling graphene oxide (GO) based MEG device with the electrochemical cell (i.e., GO/galvanic MEG device) to boost power outputs. HCl and HNO3 acids are employed to enhance the power outputs of the hybrid MEG device through unique acidification treatments. The GO/galvanic MEG device is fabricated through a simple solvent evaporation method. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic film, multi walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), GO, and metal sheets are all the components of the device, which reflects the low-cost advantage. The power outputs of the GO/galvanic MEG device are collected using a Keysight SourceMeter. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are utilized to characterize the device. After optimizing the fabrication parameters and using the unique acidification treatments, the hybrid MEG device generated exceptional power outputs based on the synergetic mechanisms of proton diffusion and galvanic oxidation. A single hybrid GO/galvanic MEG device stably generates a maximum voltage output of 1.69 V and a highest current density of 182 μA∙cm-2 under 80% RH at room temperature. Notably, the voltage output in this study is the apex among the reported GO-based MEG devices, while the current density output is top-ranked. Impressively, in room humidity, the single GO/galvanic MEG device directly powers a CASIO calculator, or a pressure sensor, or a LED light. Additionally, the simple integration of several hybrid MEG units with a capacitor easily and efficiently drives the water electrolysis and a commercial GPS tracker. This study demonstrates the vast potential of the GO/galvanic MEG device for driving practical electronics by harvesting energy from ambient moisture.
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Publication Year
2023
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Thesis
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Masters Thesis
UNSW Faculty