Leaves for high power density hydrovoltaic generators.

Hydrovoltaic generators are a class of electronic devices that can generate electricity from the motion of water molecules through ion-selective microporous channels. Commercial applications of hydrovoltaic devices are limited by their low power density and inability to generate sustained power over a long time. Here, we report the development of leaf-based hydrovoltaic generators that can generate open circuit voltage of up to 1.47 V, short circuit current density of up to 4.68 mA/cm2, and power density of up to 390 μW/cm2, a substantial improvement over recently reported similar devices. These devices can be used to fast charge commercially available supercapacitors, and supply continuous electricity to power an LED and commercially available environmental sensor. The use of leaf as a bio-based material to generate high power density hydrovoltaic generators demonstrates the potential that natural materials and nature-designed architecture within those materials hold for the development of green electronics.