A first-of-its-kind device can generate electricity using the water vapor that occurs naturally in the air, according to an announcement from university researchers.
The research team at Tsinghua University in Beijing said the “humidity generator” uses materials known as polyoxometalates — a class of inorganic molecular clusters with a wide range of functional properties that are both stable and environmentally friendly.
Polyoxometalate nanomaterials, Tsinghua scientists said, “self-assemble” into porous microstructures that can collect ambient humidity in the air. The team used ammonium-polyoxoanion clusters to create thin films with nano-scale pores. The humidity collected by the material was spontaneously absorbed by the nanowire film, resulting in a “distribution gradient” — triggering the movement of ions that creates electrical signals. The device successfully produced 0.68 volts under conditions ranging from a relatively dry 10% humidity up to 90% humidity.
The researchers said although many studies have sought — sometimes successfully — to harness the energy that occurs naturally in the environment, theirs is the first to lead to a continuous electricity supply.
The device could also broaden scientists’ understanding of how humidity can be converted to electricity and spawn new research efforts in the field of “polyoxometalate chemistry” — potentially using them to develop efficient, sustainable energy systems.
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