Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC

Yinmin Wang

Xianying Wang

Alex V Hamza

Marcus A Worsley

Theodore F Baumann

Juergen Biener

Jianchao Ye

Elijah Tylski

Monika Margarete Biener

Fang Qian

Donald J Sirbuly

Harry B Radousky

Monika A Biener

A system is disclosed for harvesting at least one of mechanical or thermal energy. The system may have a flexible substrate, a plurality of electrically conductive nanowires secured to the substrate, and a plurality of electrically conductive metal layers. The metal layers may be disposed on the substrate and spaced apart from one another along a length of the substrate. The metal layers may be in electrically conductive contact with various ones of the nanowires. At least two of the metal layers may be attachable to an external device. At least one of movement or flexing of the substrate produces an output voltage across the metal layers.

Harvesting mechanical and thermal energy by combining nanowires and phase change materials

Provided here is a method for making a graphene-supported metal oxide monolith, comprising: providing a graphene aerogel monolith; immersing said graphene aerogel monolith in a solution comprising at least one metal salt to form a mixture; curing said mixture to obtain a gel; optionally, heating said gel to obtain a graphene-supported metal oxide monolith.

Methods for making graphene-supported metal oxide monolith

A composition comprising at least one graphene-supported metal oxide monolith, said monolith comprising a three-dimensional structure of graphene sheets crosslinked by covalent carbon bonds, wherein the graphene sheets are coated by at least one metal oxide such as iron oxide or titanium oxide. Also provided is an electrode comprising the aforementioned graphene-supported metal oxide monolith, wherein the electrode can be substantially free of any carbon-black and substantially free of any binder.

Graphene-supported metal oxide monolith

A nanoconverter or nanosensor is disclosed capable of directly generating electricity through physisorption interactions with molecules that are dipole containing organic species in a molecule interaction zone. High surface-to-volume ratio semiconductor nanowires or nanotubes (such as ZnO, silicon, carbon, etc.) are grown either aligned or randomly-aligned on a substrate. Epoxy or other nonconductive polymers are used to seal portions of the nanowires or nanotubes to create molecule noninteraction zones. By correlating certain molecule species to voltages generated, a nanosensor may quickly identify which species is detected. Nanoconverters in a series parallel arrangement may be constructed in planar, stacked, or rolled arrays to supply power to nano- and micro-devices without use of external batteries. In some cases breath, from human or other life forms, contain sufficient molecules to power a nanoconverter. A membrane permeable to certain molecules around the molecule interaction zone increases specific molecule nanosensor selectivity response.

Nanodevices for generating power from molecules and batteryless sensing

A nanoconverter is capable of directly generating electricity through a nanostructure embedded in a polymer layer experiencing differential thermal expansion in a stress transfer zone. High surface-to-volume ratio semiconductor nanowires or nanotubes (such as ZnO, silicon, carbon, etc.) are grown either aligned or substantially vertically aligned on a substrate. The resulting nanoforest is then embedded with the polymer layer, which transfers stress to the nanostructures in the stress transfer zone, thereby creating a nanostructure voltage output due to the piezoelectric effect acting on the nanostructure. Electrodes attached at both ends of the nanostructures generate output power at densities of &#x2dc;20 nW/cmwith heating temperatures of &#x2dc;65&#xb0; C. Nanoconverters arrayed in a series parallel arrangement may be constructed in planar, stacked, or rolled arrays to supply power to nano- and micro-devices without use of external batteries.

Growing community of inventors

Tracy, CA, United States of America

Yinmin Wang