Energy harvesting advances with hierarchical porous copper nanosheets.

Researchers at Jeonbuk National University developed a triboelectric nanogenerator design using hierarchical porous two-dimensional copper nanosheets that reportedly improves electrical output and mechanical stability, and the material can be produced by a scalable spray-coating method.

Researchers at Jeonbuk National University report a new design for triboelectric nanogenerators intended to improve wearable energy harvesting. The approach embeds a hierarchical porous architecture within two-dimensional copper nanosheets. The team says this internal restructuring addresses past limits in electrical output and mechanical fragility. The material is made using a spray-coating method the researchers describe as scalable. Key findings: - The development centers on triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) built from two-dimensional copper nanosheets with a hierarchical porous structure. - The researchers report substantially improved electrical output compared with prior configurations. - The reconfigured material is reported to maintain functional stability across extensive stress cycles, addressing mechanical fragility concerns. - The material is also reported to provide auxiliary capabilities, including shielding against electromagnetic interference and generating heat through electrical resistance. - The fabrication approach is described as a scalable spray-coating method by the research team. Summary: The team's design is reported to tackle historical limitations in wearable TENGs by improving output and durability while adding functions such as EMI shielding and resistive heating. The fabrication method is described as scalable. Next steps for development, testing, or deployment were not specified and are undetermined at this time.