Engineered Silicon Nanopores Generate Electricity from Water Movement

Researchers at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) and Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), with collaborators at CIC energiGUNE and the University of Ferrara, have demonstrated a triboelectric nanogenerator that converts the mechanical action of water entering and exiting nanopores into usable electrical energy.

How the device works

The device, described as an Intrusion–Extrusion Triboelectric Nanogenerator (IE-TENG), exploits charge transfer at the solid–liquid interface. When water is forced under pressure into hydrophobic nanopores in a conductive silicon monolith and then expelled, frictional interactions at the interface produce a net electron transfer and an electrical output. The researchers compare the basic effect to the familiar generation of static electricity, such as when walking across a carpet and receiving a small shock when touching a metal doorknob.

Design and performance

The team engineered silicon monoliths with a combination of conductivity, defined nanoporous architecture, and hydrophobic surface properties to control water motion inside the pores and stabilize the energy conversion process. The reported energy conversion efficiency is about 9% for this solid–liquid configuration, which the authors say is among the highest values reported for similar nanogenerators.

Materials and reproducibility

Investigators highlight that the approach uses abundant materials—silicon and water—rather than rare or exotic components, which they say improves reproducibility and supports potential scalability. Achieving a material design that is simultaneously conductive, nanoporous, and hydrophobic was identified as a critical challenge that the team addressed in their fabrication process.

Potential applications

• water-detection systems
• wearable biometric sensors and smart garments
• athletic performance monitors
• haptic robotics and touch-driven sensors

Because the device converts mechanical motion of liquid directly into electrical signal, it may enable self-powered sensors in environments where conventional power sources are impractical.

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