Publication date: 15th December 2025
Water covers two-thirds of the Earth's surface and stores a vast amount of energy, which is responsible for making the water cycle possible. Harnessing this energy could help meet the growing demand for power while providing a sustainable source for a cleaner future. Hydrovoltaic generators, consisting of porous material sandwiched between two electrodes, are designed to convert the motion of water via charge-selective microscale channels to electrical energy. Here, we introduce leaves as a porous material for hydrovoltaic generators. By leveraging the presence of microscale channels along with the ease of functionalization, we report the development of leaf-based hydrovoltaic generators that can continuously produce high open-circuit voltage (up to 1.47 V) and short-circuit current (up to 4.68 mA/cm2) with a maximum power density of 390 μW/cm² [1], a substantial improvement over recently reported devices. We will present our study on understanding the mechanism behind hydrovoltaic electricity generation in these devices, the optimization process, and their potential applications. Utilizing leaves as sustainable bio-based active materials for high-power-density hydrovoltaic devices offers an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative for powering up micro-power devices.
We acknowledge support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (grant# 2203157), Colgate University Faculty Research Council, and the Center for Learning, Teaching, and Research at Colgate University.
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