Weavable composite filament for sustained electricity generation from multiple sources

Harvesting electrical energy from water and moisture has emerged as a novel and eco-friendly energy conversion technology. Nevertheless, simultaneously achieving flexibility and continuous power generation in moist-electric fibers remains a significant challenge. Herein, we present a polyvinyl alcohol/multi-walled carbon nanotube/sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (PMS) filament prepared by simple continuous wet spinning, which can stably and continuously produce electric energy from both moisture and deionized water simultaneously in the form of monofilament or as fabric. In moisture environment, the PMS monofilament with a length of 2.5 cm can generate 600 mV under 95 % relative humidity and at 25 °C, and 1 cm PMS can sustain a voltage of 200 mV for over 80 h. Additionally, it exhibits a water-voltage effect, 5 cm monofilament inclined at a 60-degree angle to the liquid surface generates a peak voltage of 1.2 V. Furthermore, by weaving the filaments into fabric, three 1.5 cm × 2.5 cm PMS-fabric units in series can achieve a series voltage of 1.15 V and a parallel current of 50 μA under humidity saturation, capable of powering a digital watch for more than 1.5 h. Overall, considering the large-scale and facile fabrication, this flexible, weavable fiber-shaped hygroelectric generator could offer sustainable energy solutions and potential alternatives to conventional batteries for wearable electronics.