Surface functional modification boosts the output of an evaporation-driven water flow nanogenerator

Abstract Harvesting environmental thermal energy from a natural evaporation process is a promising method for acquiring renewable and sustainable energy. Here, we present an evaporation-driven water flow nanogenerator based on a piece of flexible carbon nanoparticle film. The open-circuit voltage of one single-piece device can be tuned from − 3 to 3 V by manipulating the surface functional groups on the carbon nanoparticles. The effects of different modification molecules and solution concentrations were also investigated. By combining the modified carbon films with opposite surface charges, we enhanced the output of the generator to a maximum open-circuit voltage of 5 V and a short-circuit current of 1.5 μA with a film size of 5 cm × 5 cm. Furthermore, the device can be easily integrated with carbon nanotube-based supercapacitors (CNT-SCs) to assemble the energy-storing and energy-harvesting devices into a self-sustaining power system. The electrical output of the device can directly power a liquid crystal display in an ambient environment and a blue LED with help of self-charged built-in SCs. This eco-friendly device, with its low cost and simple fabrication, shows great potential for future clean energy utilization and for extending the field of portable electronics.