Our living environment is full of various energies, such as vibration energy, chemical energy, bioenergy, solar energy and thermal energy, but most of these energies are not used or the utilization rate is extremely low. Nanogenerators are based on regular zinc oxide nanowires, which convert mechanical energy into electrical energy within the nanometer range and are known as the smallest generators in the world.
Ubiquitous nanogenerators
Its advent has broken the limit of people’s understanding of the size of “generators”. Nanogenerators can collect and utilize extremely small mechanical energy in the environment. For example, noises of various frequencies caused by the flow of air or water, the rotation of engines, the operation of machines, muscle contraction or foot stepping on the ground when people walk, and even subtle changes in pressure in a certain part of the body caused by breathing, heartbeat or blood flow in the human body can drive nanogenerators to generate electricity. Therefore, the theory of nanogenerators provides an ideal power supply solution for the current realization of the Internet of Things, sensor networks and big data.