An MXene-based high-power hybrid moisture electric generator for textile integration

Abstract

Moisture electric generators (MEGs), which can generate electricity by absorbing moisture from the ambient environment, have become a promising solution to power generation by providing green power supply for the next generation of wearable devices. However, two major bottlenecks have limited the practical applications of MEG devices: (1) the low-power density constrained by ion concentration and ion transportation ability of the materials used, and (2) the lack of solutions for direct integration into wearable systems, like cloth, etc. In this work, we demonstrated a planar MXene hybrid moisture electric generator with high power density, which was successfully integrated into cloth for the first time to power wearable devices in low-humidity environments. Our hybrid MEG (hMEG) has achieved a high-power density of 3.47 mW cm⁻³ under 90% relative humidity (RH) at 25 °C, which is 2.2 times higher than the best MEG ever reported. By applying highly conductive MXene as a binder and incorporating two types of additives, the impedance of the hMEG dropped to 1 kΩ, which significantly resolves the issue of circuit impedance matching, enabling the MEG to drive a wider variety of loads. Our hMEG arrays, integrated into cloth through screen printing, have successfully powered various devices, like LED light strips, calculators, hearing aids, and a power management system with Bluetooth under ambient conditions. Our work provides an innovative strategy for fabricating high-performance MEGs, paving the way for robust and sustainable power solutions in wearable devices, especially under diverse operating conditions and battery-free scenarios.