Thermocells Driven by Phase Transition of Hydrogel Nanoparticles
Thermocells Driven by Phase Transition of Hydrogel Nanoparticles
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DOI：
10.1021/jacs.0c08600
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发表时间：
2020-10-14
影响因子：
15
通讯作者：
Yamada, Teppei
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Guo, Benshuai;Hoshino, Yu;Yamada, Teppei
低温、离域和丰富热源的热电转换对于物联网（IoT）和/或无碳社会的发展至关重要。由于元件的低成本和灵活性，热电池在低温热量的热电转换方面引起了人们的极大兴趣。然而，为了电池的实际使用，需要显著提高转换效率。在这里，我们报告的体积相变（VPT）的水凝胶纳米粒子（NP）驱动的热电化学电池。含有羧酸和胺的聚（N-异丙基丙烯酰胺）NP的熵驱动的VPT在生理温度附近分别产生高达0.049和-0.053pH K-1的pH梯度。pH梯度触发醌氢醌在电极上的质子耦合电子转移（PCET）反应，导致具有-6.7和+6.1 mV K-1的塞贝克系数（S-e）的高效热电转换。由水凝胶的相变驱动的热电池提供了一种无毒、灵活且廉价的充电器，其从丰富的能源如太阳能、身体和废热中收获无碳能量。
Thermoelectric conversion of low temperature, delocalized, and abundant thermal sources is crucial for the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and/or a carbon-free society. Thermocells are of great interest in thermoelectric conversion of low-temperature heat due to the low cost and flexibility of components. However, significant improvement of the conversion efficiency is required for the practical use of the cells. Here, we report thermo-electrochemical cells driven by volume phase transition (VPT) of hydrogel nanoparticles (NPs). Entropically driven VPT of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) NPs containing carboxylic acids and amines generates a pH gradient of up to 0.049 and -0.053 pH K-1, respectively, around physiological temperature. The pH gradient triggers the proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions of quinhydrone on the electrodes, resulting in the highly efficient thermoelectric conversion with a Seebeck coefficient (S-e) of -6.7 and +6.1 mV K-1. Thermocells driven by phase transition of hydrogels provide a nontoxic, flexible, and inexpensive charger that harvests carbon-free energy from abundant energy sources such as solar, body and waste heat.