Abstract
Direct-current generators, especially those based on the Schottky contacts between conductive polymers and metal electrodes, are efficient in converting mechanical stimuli into electrical energy. In contrast to triboelectric and piezoelectric generators, direct-current generators readily produce direct-current outputs and high currents that are crucial for integrating multiple energy-harvesting units in large scale and driving some types of devices. We are focusing on the relationship between Schottky barrier height and performance, systematically investigating the effects of various conductive polymers and electrodes on the outputs by both theoretical simulation and experiments. Tailoring the Schottky barrier height between conductive polymers and metal electrodes is demonstrated a significant approach to design the new DC generators. The preparation method of electrochemical deposition endows the generators flexibility, the linear relationship of current/voltage output vs. strain applied on the generators, combined with the large outputs offer advantages for the generator to work as flexible sensors. Furthermore, a mechanosensation-active matrix array based on direct-current generator for the strain monitoring demonstrated its promising prospects in flexible electronics. The direct-current generators with improved performance could serve as a stream new blood for versatile sensory systems and human–machine interactive interfaces.
Highlights
Direct-current generators, especially those based on the Schottky contacts between conductive polymers and metal electrodes, are efficient in converting mechanical stimuli into electrical energy
I.e. polypyrrole (PPy), polyaniline (PANI) and polyethoxythiophene (PEDOT), and various metals were selected to construct the generators based on the principal of the polymer–metal contact conditions
To overcome the inflexibility of previous direct-current generators, such as the Al/PPy/Au generator in Shao et al.[28], a method of electrochemical deposition was proposed to prepare conductive polymers on a flexible substrate coated with metal electrodes film to realize the flexibility
Summary
Direct-current generators, especially those based on the Schottky contacts between conductive polymers and metal electrodes, are efficient in converting mechanical stimuli into electrical energy. Pioneering approaches of generating direct-current outputs from mechanical stimuli included the seriesconnected p–n junctions bridged by a working electrode proposed by Meng et al.[26] and the ionic polymer-based energy harvester by Hou et al.[27], but the processing technologies involved in those devices were too sophisticated for high-density integrations. The Schottky barrier height has closely associated with the Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) and Highest occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) of the polymers and the work functions of the metals In this manuscript, to optimize the performance of direct-current generators, we investigate the material combination of various conductive polymers and metals to construct a variety of direct-current generators, and focus on discussing the relationship between the output characteristics of these generators and the Schottky barrier heights. Our direct-current generator offers a significant insight for designing high-efficient direct-current generators
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