They have created a tiny charge for gadgets in the form of pads on the finger. This device is called a triboelectric nanogenerator can convert into electricity the energy of simple movements.
Study leader, Professor Gian Tsyaotsyan believes that our body contains a lot of energy, which can be used entirely for the electric charge. Triboelectric effect or triboelectric charge occurs in friction against each other some materials. We can often see this phenomenon in the form of static electricity.
The new device is a strip size 1,5h1 cm, which is made of two thin gold layers, separated by a layer of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). PDMS - it's the same silikonpolimer contained in contact lenses, or "smart" plasticine.Stretching the layers of gold leads to friction with the layer of PDMS. The electrons are moved between the two metal layers. Their flow is greater, the more traffic, leading to changes in the geometry of the layers.
To date, researchers have been able to establish the maximum voltage 124 V, the maximum current of 10 mA and a maximum power density of 0.22 mW / cm2. This is still not enough to charge a smartphone, but it looks like a serious bid for future success.
Professor Zhang and his team plan to continue to experiment, increasing the size of the device to get more energy.They also are working on a battery for storing energy extracted by the human body. Their ultimate goal - to make efficient and cheaper stand-alone power source for a wide variety of portable electronic devices