Droplet Electricity Generators With Maximized Energy Collection Zone Enabled by Aloe‐Inspired Midrib and Cuticle

Leveraging water as an abundant and continuously available natural resource, droplet electricity generators (DEGs) have gained significant attention for their ability to produce high instantaneous voltages from the simple impact of water droplets. However, conventional DEGs are fundamentally limited by their narrow energy collection zones, confined to regions immediately adjacent to the switch electrode. In nature, Aloe vera overcomes a similar spatial challenge by guiding scarce rainfall toward the root through its midrib-like longitudinal ridge and water-repellent wax-rich cuticle-an integrated water-guiding architecture that transports droplets over long distances with minimal loss. Here, inspired by this mechanism, we introduce a scalable DEG that maximizes the energy collection zone through an artificial droplet-channeling strategy. A midrib-inspired curvilinear geometry induces uni-directional spreading upon impact, while an artificial hydrophobic cuticle composed of a hydrocarbon-based OTS-squalane layer enables smooth, low-retention sliding and robust interfacial stability. These features substantially expand the effective collection zone and yield approximately 236% higher charge output than a conventional DEG, unlocking new opportunities for large-area, distributed, and environmentally adaptive droplet-energy harvesting.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Materials
Published
2026-03-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202523637
Primary Topic
Solar-Powered Water Purification Methods
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Droplet Electricity Generators With Maximized Energy Collection Zone Enabled by Aloe‐Inspired Midrib and Cuticle

Minjun Song, Min‐Gyu Lee, Kyongtae Choi, S Jang et al.
Advanced Materials
Solar-Powered Water Purification Methods
article

Droplet Electricity Generators With Maximized Energy Collection Zone Enabled by Aloe‐Inspired Midrib and Cuticle

Minjun Song, Min‐Gyu Lee, Kyongtae Choi, S Jang, Younghoon Lee, Eunbyeol Kim, Donghyun Seo, Gibeom Lee, Dongwhi Choi
article en

Abstract

Leveraging water as an abundant and continuously available natural resource, droplet electricity generators (DEGs) have gained significant attention for their ability to produce high instantaneous voltages from the simple impact of water droplets. However, conventional DEGs are fundamentally limited by their narrow energy collection zones, confined to regions immediately adjacent to the switch electrode. In nature, Aloe vera overcomes a similar spatial challenge by guiding scarce rainfall toward the root through its midrib-like longitudinal ridge and water-repellent wax-rich cuticle-an integrated water-guiding architecture that transports droplets over long distances with minimal loss. Here, inspired by this mechanism, we introduce a scalable DEG that maximizes the energy collection zone through an artificial droplet-channeling strategy. A midrib-inspired curvilinear geometry induces uni-directional spreading upon impact, while an artificial hydrophobic cuticle composed of a hydrocarbon-based OTS-squalane layer enables smooth, low-retention sliding and robust interfacial stability. These features substantially expand the effective collection zone and yield approximately 236% higher charge output than a conventional DEG, unlocking new opportunities for large-area, distributed, and environmentally adaptive droplet-energy harvesting.

Advanced Materials
Gachon University (KR), Samsung (South Korea) (KR), LG (United States) (US), Kyung Hee University (KR)
Responsible consumption and production
Openalex Percentile: Top 30%
Solar-Powered Water Purification Methods
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Droplet Electricity Generators With Maximized Energy Collection Zone Enabled by Aloe‐Inspired Midrib and Cuticle — Minjun Song, Min‐Gyu Lee, et al. · Advanced Materials (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS