Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

Chunhua Yao

Xudong Wang

Zhiyong Cai

Yanhao Yu

Zhaodong Li

Alberto Hernandez

Triboelectric nanogenerators that operate in a vertical contact separation mode and methods for fabricating the triboelectric generators are provided. Also provided are methods for using the triboelectric nanogenerators to harvest mechanical energy and convert it into electric energy. In the TENGs, one or both of the triboelectrically active layers comprises a cellulose that has been chemically treated to alter its electron affinity.

Triboelectric nanogenerators based on chemically treated cellulose

Photocatalytic structures having a capillary-force based electrolyte delivery system are provided. Also provided are photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic cells incorporating the structures and methods for using the cells to generate hydrogen and/or oxygen from water. The photocatalytic structures use an electrolyte-transporting strip comprising a porous network of cellulose nanofibers to transport electrolyte from a body of the electrolyte to a porous photoelectrode or a porous photocatalytic substrate via capillary force.

Capillary photoelectrode structures for photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic cells

Growing community of inventors

Madison, WI, United States of America

Chunhua Yao