“Long-lasting moisture energy scavenging in dry ambient air empowered by a salt concentration-gradient cationic hydrogel”, a paper in Advanced Functional Materials
- failyf22
- 23 hours ago
- 2 min read
Professor Dong-Myeong Shin from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, along with his dedicated team of researchers, has made significant strides in the field of sustainable energy harvesting. Their groundbreaking study, titled “Long-lasting moisture energy scavenging in dry ambient air empowered by a salt concentration-gradient cationic hydrogel,” offers valuable insights into harnessing atmospheric moisture for continuous and eco-friendly power generation.
As the world faces ever-increasing energy demands, converting ambient humidity into electrical energy emerges as a highly promising next-generation solution. Its appeal lies in its sustainability, abundance, and potential for ubiquitous deployment across diverse environments. Nonetheless, realizing a system capable of generating high-density electrical power over extended periods, especially under low-humidity conditions, remains a formidable challenge.
Addressing this, the research team innovatively combined the principles of water flow, ion migration, and salt concentration gradients within a specially designed cationic hydrogel. By engineering a salt concentration-gradient in the hydrogel, they facilitated a synergistic movement of water and ions, effectively activating and sustaining electrical generation. This approach led to the creation of a moisture-activated electricity generator (MEG) that boasts an impressive lifespan exceeding 50 days, minimal energy loss, and a stable power output of 13.8 milliwatts per square meter at low relative humidity levels of 30%.
Furthermore, by employing a stacking strategy—arranging multiple MEG modules in serial and parallel configurations—they demonstrated the potential to power a wide array of practical electronic devices with varying power requirements. This breakthrough underscores the immense promise of MEGs as sustainable, omnipresent power sources capable of supporting everyday technology without reliance on traditional energy supplies.
The significance of this research has been recognized by the scientific community, with the article prominently featured as the back cover of Volume 35, Issue 25 of the Journal of Advanced Functional Materials, published on June 19, 2025.
Publication titles: Long-lasting moisture energy scavenging in dry ambient air empowered by a salt concentration-gradient cationic hydrogel
Authors: Eunjong Kim, Xiaoting Ma, Jiaming Zhou, Jingyi Gao, Aohua Liu, Yu Ru, Yoonseob Kim, Seungkyu Lee, and Dong-Myeong Shin
Comentários