Domestic researchers have developed a technology that collects moisture from the air using the temperature difference between day and night and converts it into electrical energy. ...
Professor Yoon Tae-kwang of Ajou University and senior researcher Yoon Gi-ro of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) reported on the 7th that their joint research team has developed a new concept energy harvesting system that can generate power independently without external water supply, even in extreme environments. This research was published in the international journal "Composites Part B: Engineering" in April.
Energy harvesting technology refers to the technology that collects natural energy or energy wasted in daily life and reproduces it as electrical energy. Existing water-based energy harvesting technologies generated electricity by utilizing the energy difference between wet and dry surfaces, but they had the limitation of always needing an external water supply.
To overcome these limitations, the research team implemented a fully autonomous system. They utilized two types of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to independently collect moisture from the atmosphere and generate electricity. Metal-organic frameworks are substances where metals and organic materials are bonded in a lattice shape, containing numerous tiny pores inside.
One of the two metal-organic frameworks absorbs moisture from the cold air at night and releases it during the day. The released moisture condenses on the fiber surface where another metal-organic framework has grown, causing the fiber to asymmetrically wet and generating a difference in electrical energy, resulting in an electric current. This process achieved a maximum of 1㎤ 2.6㎼ (micro-watts, one-millionth of a watt).
The research team stated that the metal-organic frameworks demonstrate excellent moisture adsorption and desorption performance even in low humidity environments, making them applicable in various environments. They confirmed that the self-moisture generation and electrical energy production functions operate stably in experiments simulating real climatic conditions such as deserts, coasts, and inland areas.
Professor Yoon Tae-kwang noted, "This research demonstrates the feasibility of a self-sufficient energy harvesting system that can operate without external power or water supply," and added, "I hope it can be a new alternative in disaster areas or regions with low energy accessibility in the future."
References
Composites Part B: Engineering (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2025.112574