High-performance wearable thermoelectric generator with self-healing, recycling, and Lego-like reconfiguring capabilities

Citations Over TimeTop 1% of 2021 papers

Abstract

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are an excellent candidate for powering wearable electronics and the "Internet of Things," due to their capability of directly converting heat to electrical energy. Here, we report a high-performance wearable TEG with superior stretchability, self-healability, recyclability, and Lego-like reconfigurability, by combining modular thermoelectric chips, dynamic covalent polyimine, and flowable liquid-metal electrical wiring in a mechanical architecture design of "soft motherboard-rigid plugin modules." A record-high open-circuit voltage among flexible TEGs is achieved, reaching 1 V/cm2 at a temperature difference of 95 K. Furthermore, this TEG is integrated with a wavelength-selective metamaterial film on the cold side, leading to greatly improved device performance under solar irradiation, which is critically important for wearable energy harvesting during outdoor activities. The optimal properties and design concepts of TEGs reported here can pave the way for delivering the next-generation high-performance, adaptable, customizable, durable, economical, and eco-friendly energy-harvesting devices with wide applications.

Related Papers

• → Making sense of intermittent energy harvesting(2018)11 cited
• → Synthesis of Zn0.96Al0.04O thermoelectric material for fabrication of thermoelectric module and thermoelectric generator(2018)6 cited
• → Demo Abstract: Simultaneous Energy Harvesting and Sensing Using Piezoelectric Energy Harvester(2018)3 cited
• → The Energy Harvesting Mode Abstraction(2018)1 cited
• → SOME THOUGHTS ON RF ENERGY HARVESTING(2016)