Flexible and portable graphene on carbon cloth as a power generator for electricity generation

Abstract

Utilizing flexible and portable device to generate electricity via a natural process has aroused extensive and intensive interest. Herein, a low-cost graphene/carbon cloth (G/CC) is prepared to generate electricity induced by water evaporation that is driven from solar photothermal conversion. The G/CC device can constantly generate electricity approximately up to 0.37 V in 0.5 M NaCl solution through solar-driven water evaporation. High photothermal efficiency up to 83% is achieved when the device is applied to inorganic salt solutions or organic solvents under solar illumination with a power density of 1 kW m−2. This work provides a simple method that can convert the environmental energy into electricity, and develops a new energy harvester as a green power supply system that is feasible in a use of water evaporation, pollutant treatment and medicine disinfection.