A Novel Soft Metal‐Polymer Composite for Multidirectional Pressure Energy Harvesting

Abstract

DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201400024 bubbles remain trapped inside the sponge by means of solving sacrifi cing particles. The triboelectric phenomenon is promoted by periodic contact between miniature pieces of copper microwires encapsulated in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sponge. The strong advantages of this work are its simplicity and the cost effectiveness of the process, which makes it suitable for mass manufacturing and fabrication with easy-access facilities. Moreover, because the prototypes are made out of a mixture, the building process can be integrated with other fabrication methods in a broad range of scales. The possibility of trapping conductive wires in rubber opens the way to a new generation of energy harvesting devices, targeting all application fi elds where a fl exible and soft material is used and/or needed. Moreover the fabrication process is not constrained to planar technology but fully 3D shapes can be built. The wired-sponge polymer could be tailored for consumer goods used in everyday life, for which energy harvesting mechanisms have not been considered to date, such as some parts of wheels, mattresses, toys and playgrounds, dance fl oors, etc. It is noteworthy that this approach could be addressed in advanced robotic systems where the body of the robot is built with soft materials via a bioinspired design paradigm. [ 10 ]