Electricity generation from the interaction of liquid–solid interface: a review

Abstract

Harvesting energy from water is an environmentally friendly way to ease the energy crisis, since water covers about 70% of the Earth. However, traditional hydraulic generators need to be set in some specific place to satisfy the requirements of hydrological and geological conditions. Nanogenerators based on the interaction at the liquid–solid interface can perfectly ignore these limitations, and therefore, show great potential for use in self-powered systems. In this review, the mechanism of electricity generation at the liquid–solid interface, classical designs and experiments, and application of the liquid–solid nanogenerator are reviewed. Finally, existing problems and future developments of the liquid–solid nanogenerator are discussed and summarized.