Water-evaporation induced electricity generation inspired by natural tree transpiration

Water evaporation-driven hydrovoltaic generators (HGs) with the property of sustainable electricity generation provide the possibility of renewable energy generation without the demand for additional mechanical work. In recent years a great number of efforts have been developed for improving device performance. However, the widespread applications of this technology are still limited due to the low electricity output, complex fabrication process, and relatively high cost. Here, inspired by natural tree transpiration, a facile and efficient HGs via coating conductive polymer nanoparticles on natural wood was demonstrated. In this research, the microscopic morphology, structure and various factors of small generators were explored. The results indicated that the wood-based conductive material as a generator had excellent performance and potential application value, making it possible for natural power generation and amelioration of insufficient power supply in the future.