All-Printed Flexible Hygro-Thermoelectric Paper Generator

The conversion of ubiquitous hygrothermal resources into renewable energy offers significant potential for cable-free, self-powered systems that can operate worldwide without regard to climatic or geographic limitations. Here, an all-printed flexible hygro-thermoelectric paper generator is demonstrated that uses bifunctional mobile ions and electrons to make the moist-diffusion effect, the Soret effect, and the Seebeck effect work synergistically. In the ordinary hygrothermal settings, it generates an unconventional hygro-thermoelectric output pattern and shows almost a dozen-fold increase in positive hygro-thermopower of 26.70 mV K^-1 and also another negative hygro-thermopower of -15.71 mV K^-1 compared to pure thermopower. A single paper generator can produce a giant 680 mV displaying typical cyclic sinusoidal waveform characters with volt-sized amplitudes. The ion-electron conductive ink is easily printable and consists primarily of a Bi₂ Te₃ /PEDOT:PSS thermoelectric matrix modulated with a hygroscopic glycerol that releases ion charges for moist-diffusion effect and Soret effect, as well as electron charges for Seebeck effect. The emerged hygro-thermoelectric harvesting strategy from surrounding hygrothermal resources offers a revolutionary approach to the next generation of hybrid energy with cost-efficiency, flexibility, and sustainability, and also enables large-scale roll-to-roll production.