Synergistic Effects of TiO2 and Carbon Black for Water Evaporation-Induced Electricity Generation.

Abstract

Water evaporation-induced electricity generators (WEGs) have drawn widespread attention in the field of hydrovoltaic technology, which can convert atmospheric thermal energy into sustainable electric power. However, it is restricted in the wide application of WEGs due to the low power output, complex fabrication process, and high cost. Herein, we present a simple and effective approach to fabricate TiO2-carbon black film-based WEGs (TC-WEGs). A single TC-WEG device can sustainably output an open-circuit voltage of 1.9 V and a maximum power density of 40.9 μW/cm2. Moreover, it has been shown that TC-WEGs exhibit stable electrical energy output when operating in seawater, which can yield a short-circuit current of 1.2 μA. The superior electricity generation performance can be attributed to the intrinsic characteristics of the TC-WEGs, including hydrophilicity, porous structure, and electrical conductivity. This work provides an important reference for the constant harvesting of clean energy.