An Australian team has developed an ultra-thin and flexible thermoelectric film that generates energy by exploiting body heat: new applications for smartwatches, electronic chip cooling and personal thermal management are on the horizon!
The idea of use body heat as a source of energy to power electronic devices is no longer a simple science fiction concept. As global demand for batteries grows exponentially and puts pressure on the planet’s resources, researchers around the world are investigating alternative solutions. One of the most promising comes fromUniversity of Queensland (QUT)in Australia, where one was developed ultra-thin and flexible film capable of transforming the temperature difference between the human body and the environment into electrical energy.
How do wearable thermoelectric devices work?
THE thermoelectric devices they exploit the temperature gradient between body heat and the surrounding air to generate electricity. However, flexibility And production costs have always represented obstacles to commercialization. Professor Wenyi Chen, lead author of the study, explains: “Although these devices can be worn comfortably against the skin, poor flexibility and complex manufacturing processes have limited their efficiency and diffusion.”
Traditionally, thermoelectric devices are built using the bismuth telluridea semiconductor particularly suited to generating energy from small temperature differences, ideal for monitoring parameters such as heart rate, body temperature or movement.
The QUT team’s real breakthrough was the use of nanocrystalsor nanobinderswhich allow us to obtain an extremely thin and flexible printable film, while maintaining excellent performance. This process, called solvothermal synthesisproduces nanocrystals under high pressure and temperature, which are subsequently bonded by a method of large-scale printing and heating almost to the melting point.
Possible applications
According to Professor Chen, the applications of this innovation are multiple and could revolutionize various technological sectors. Beyond smartwatches and wearable health monitoring devices, this technology could be used for cool electronic chips in confined spaces, such as smartphones or computers, significantly improving their energy efficiency.
Another innovative use could concern the personal thermal management. Imagine a system of wearable air conditioning and ventilationpowered directly by body heat: an idea that could soon become reality thanks to this technological advancement.
