Cellulose-based porous nanocomposites for hydrovoltaic energy harvesting and storage (CelluHydroHarvest)

Harvesting energy directly from the environment is a promising approach for building a renewable energy systems.

Based on the electrokinetic principles, this project will develop novel nanocomposites consisting of cellulose and porous organic materials that can convert the energy carried by water and moisture, such as latent heat and chemical potential energy, into electricity through the natural and ubiquitous processes of water evaporation and moisture absorption.

The nanocomposites will be designed to possess: high surface areas, tuneable porous channels with high surface charges, high ionic and electrical conductivities, good processability, flexibility and biocompatibility.

This will allows us to design sustainable, “zero emission”, efficient and recyclable water-evaporation-induced electricity generation (WEG) and moisture-absorption-enabled electricity generation (MEG) devices.

The project also aims at reaching a fundamental understanding on how the composition, porous structure, surface chemistry, ionic conductivity and electrical conductivity of the materials influence the electricity generation processes and how to tailor the performances of the devices.

The ultimate long-term goal is to form a basis for designing sustainable energy harvesting and storage units by coupling the WEG/MEG devices with supercapacitors.

These units can act as portable power stations, outdoor power supplies, and provide a continuous power supply for flexible electronic devices.