Evaporation-driven porous cellulose aerogel wood for water content detection in kerosene

Water electrovoltaic generation (WEG) technologies have emerged as a promising avenue for sustainable energy harvesting in response to the growing global emphasis on carbon neutrality. However, conventional WEG systems still encounter significant limitations, including high fabrication costs, limited environmental degradability, and susceptibility to ambient fluctuations. This study presents an aerogel wood-based water evaporation-induced generator (AW-WWEG) fabricated through simple chemical treatment of balsa wood (BW) without incorporating any additional materials. The resulting structure exhibits an aerogel-like morphology with an ultrahigh porosity of approximately 96 % and a low density of 0.05 g/cm³. Under ambient conditions with 65 % relative humidity, the AW-WWEG achieves a stable open-circuit voltage of 160 mV and demonstrates additional functionality as a sensing platform for detecting water content in kerosene. Specifically, it allows for effectively identifying water contamination in kerosene by tracking corresponding changes in voltage signals. Compared to untreated BW, the AW-WWEG exhibits a threefold enhancement in power generation efficiency while reducing the detection cost. This eco-friendly, self-powered device offers a cost-effective and sustainable approach for real-time monitoring of water contamination in kerosene.