Characterization methods on moisture-enabled power generator : mechanism, parameters and applications

Abstract Moisture, such as water vapor or mist found in natural environments, contains enormous amounts of energy. Moisture-enabled power generator (MEG) provides a new way to efficiently harness the energy contained in moisture by exploiting the interaction between water molecules and nanostructures. Functional materials are important components of generators, and in-depth analyses of their structure, morphology, and mass-transfer characteristics are a reliable basis for understanding the principles of power generation and improving device design. At the same time, performance is the most important parameter of the generator, which directly reflects the strengths and weaknesses of the generator and determines the possible applications of the device. This review provides a general overview of performance characterizations of MEGs and characterization methods of functional materials, and attempts to establish the relationship between power generation principle-material structure-mass transfer characteristics-device performance-application. The first part briefly summarizes the mechanism of MEGs. The second part provides a comprehensive discussion of various characterization methods for functional materials. The third part focuses on the representation and calculation methods of performance parameters of MEGs. The last part highlights current challenges and prospects.