Open AccessWhole Fabric‐Assisted Thermoelectric Devices for Wearable Electronics
Author(s) -
Hou Yue,
Yang Yang,
Wang Ziyu,
Li Zhaoyu,
Zhang Xingzhong,
Bethers Brandon,
Xiong Rui,
Guo Haizhong,
Yu Hongyu
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
advanced science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.388
H-Index - 100
ISSN - 2198-3844
DOI - 10.1002/advs.202103574
Subject(s) - materials science , thermoelectric generator , energy harvesting , wearable computer , wearable technology , electrode , thermoelectric effect , voltage , optoelectronics , computer science , mechanical engineering , power (physics) , electrical engineering , embedded system , chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics , engineering
Flexible thermoelectric generators (f‐TEGs) have demonstrated great potential in wearable self‐powered health monitoring devices. However, the existing wearable f‐TEGs are neither flexible enough to bend and stretch while maintaining the device's integrity with a good TE performance nor directly compatible with clothes materials. Here, ultraflexible fabric‐based thermoelectric generators (uf‐TEGs) are proposed with conductive cloth electrodes and elastic fabric substrate. The patterned elastic fabric substrate fits the rigid cuboids well, together with serpentine structured cloth electrodes, rendering uf‐TEG with excellent integrity and flexibility, thereby achieving a highly functional TE performance when strain reaches 30% or on arbitrarily shaped heat sources. The uf‐TEGs show a large peak power of 64.10 μ W for a temperature difference of 33.24 K with a high voltage output of 111.49 mV, which is superior compared to previously reported fabric‐based TEG devices, and it is still functional after the water immersion test. Besides the energy harvesting function, with both the temperature sensing ability and the touch perception, this uf‐TEG is demonstrated as the electrical skin when mounted on a robot. Moreover, due to the wind‐sensitive performance and self‐power ability, the uf‐TEGs are assembled on cloth as wearable health and motion monitoring devices.