Recently, the latest research results of the scientific research team of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences were published in the international academic journal "Science". The special plastic thermoelectric film material they developed,It can generate thermal energy through the temperature difference between the human body and the outside world, and its core indicators have set world records for similar materials.
This plastic thermoelectric film has the flexibility of plastic and can be bent at will. When used, one side is close to the human body and the other side is in contact with the outside world. It relies on the temperature difference between the two sides to complete thermoelectric conversion, achieving efficient collection of human body heat and generating electricity.
The core difficulty of research and development is to solve the industry problem of difficult to balance the conductivity and thermal insulation of materials - the material needs to have good conductivity to ensure the flow of electrons to generate electricity, and it must have excellent thermal insulation to maintain the temperature difference between the two sides. These two characteristics are inherently contradictory.
The scientific research team used the characteristics of common carbon-based materials as a breakthrough and found that charcoal's atoms are arranged in a disordered manner and have good thermal insulation but poor electrical conductivity. Graphite's atoms are arranged in a regular manner and have excellent electrical conductivity but weak thermal insulation. This is also the fundamental reason why it is difficult to achieve both electrical conductivity and thermal insulation.
In the end, the team solved the problem by designing an irregular multi-level pore structure. The structure is similar to a sponge, full of holes of different sizes and shapes. After contact with the heat, it will be blocked layer by layer and cannot be lost. However, electrons can move smoothly in the internal "green channel", allowing the material to perfectly meet the dual core requirements of heat insulation and conductivity.
In terms of wearing safety, this film also has a comprehensive protective design. The outer layer of the device is made of insulating material, and the inside of the film can achieve directional transmission of electrons.
Test data shows that there will be no current leakage when the film is attached to the skin or in contact with clothing, completely avoiding leakage and short-circuit problems. The internal conductive structure is only responsible for converting human body heat into electrical energy and directional transmission to the electronic device to be charged.
In terms of power generation efficiency, the scientific research team will continue to optimize and charge small portable devices such as smart watches, Bluetooth headsets, and bracelets. In the future, it may also be able to continuously power mobile phones.