Self‐Sustained Electricity Generation from Ambient Moisture Enabled by Step‐Gradient Polysaccharide Films

Abstract Moisture electricity generator (MEG) has emerged as a promising technology to directly harvest energy from the ambient atmosphere. However, their practical applications remain limited by inefficient ion transport. In this work, a high‐performance, polysaccharide‐based step‐gradient MEG (SG‐MEG) is presented, fabricated by the sequential multilayer casting‐drying of polysaccharide materials with varying functional group densities. This design creates an intrinsic step‐wise ionic gradient, promoting ion dissociation and diffusion. As a result, a single unit can sustain an open‐circuit voltage of 0.78 V for over 1300 h, a milliamp‐scale short‐circuit current density of 1.1 mA cm −2 and an improved power density of 15.49 µW cm −2 (1291 W m⁻ 3 ), representing a ten‐fold enhancement compared to conventional MEG. Numerical simulations and experimental analyses confirm that the enhanced performance arises from the high functionalization of polysaccharide and the facilitated ion diffusion enabled by the step gradient.The multifunctionality of SG‐MEG is demonstrated in practical applications, including self‐powered respiration monitoring, direct powering of low‐power electronics, and integration with energy storage systems for autonomous devices such as a self‐cruising boat and a water‐level alarm. This work offers a new paradigm for the design of high‐performance, bio‐based MEGs and advances their application.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-06-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202510258
Citations
6
Primary Topic
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
4.04

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article

Self‐Sustained Electricity Generation from Ambient Moisture Enabled by Step‐Gradient Polysaccharide Films

Shichao Niu, Shile Feng, Yingqi Hou, Jinhe Shi et al.
6 citations
Advanced Functional Materials
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
4.04
article

Self‐Sustained Electricity Generation from Ambient Moisture Enabled by Step‐Gradient Polysaccharide Films

Shichao Niu, Shile Feng, Yingqi Hou, Jinhe Shi, Yu Sun, Yahua Liu, Yi Lei, Quanmao Wei, Lei Zhao
article en
6 citations

Abstract

Abstract Moisture electricity generator (MEG) has emerged as a promising technology to directly harvest energy from the ambient atmosphere. However, their practical applications remain limited by inefficient ion transport. In this work, a high‐performance, polysaccharide‐based step‐gradient MEG (SG‐MEG) is presented, fabricated by the sequential multilayer casting‐drying of polysaccharide materials with varying functional group densities. This design creates an intrinsic step‐wise ionic gradient, promoting ion dissociation and diffusion. As a result, a single unit can sustain an open‐circuit voltage of 0.78 V for over 1300 h, a milliamp‐scale short‐circuit current density of 1.1 mA cm −2 and an improved power density of 15.49 µW cm −2 (1291 W m⁻ 3 ), representing a ten‐fold enhancement compared to conventional MEG. Numerical simulations and experimental analyses confirm that the enhanced performance arises from the high functionalization of polysaccharide and the facilitated ion diffusion enabled by the step gradient.The multifunctionality of SG‐MEG is demonstrated in practical applications, including self‐powered respiration monitoring, direct powering of low‐power electronics, and integration with energy storage systems for autonomous devices such as a self‐cruising boat and a water‐level alarm. This work offers a new paradigm for the design of high‐performance, bio‐based MEGs and advances their application.

Advanced Functional MaterialsVol. 35(51)
University of Toronto (CA), Jilin University (CN), Dalian University of Technology (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province
Openalex Percentile: Top 6%
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
4.04
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