Fluorinated Polymers for Hydrovoltaic Energy Harvesting: Mechanisms and Multifunctional Integration

Hydrovoltaic energy harvesting converts interactions at water-solid interfaces into electricity through capacitive discharge, streaming, and diffusion. Fluorinated polymers such as poly-(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), and poly-(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) are central to these processes owing to their high electronegativity, hydrophobicity, and chemical stability. These materials facilitate charge separation and storage while offering structural versatility for device fabrication. This review highlights recent progress in applying fluorinated polymers across the three hydrovoltaic mechanisms, with emphasis on structure-property-function relationships that govern interfacial charge dynamics. Approaches for integrating multiple mechanisms and coupling hydrovoltaic devices with complementary energy-harvesting systems are also summarized. Together, these advances underscore the key role of fluorinated polymers in enabling multifunctional hydrovoltaic platforms and point toward strategies for improving performance, durability, and system-level integration.