Wearable energy-harvesting micro devices

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The focus of this dissertation is wearable energy-harvesting mircro devices. They are designed to harvest energy from the surrounding environment to supply power on the go for small electronic devices and sensors. We used low-cost and scalable fabrication methods that make them appropriate for mass production processes. There are four devices presented in this manuscript: the paper based ZnO nanogenerator using contact electrification and piezoelectric effects, the Teflon coated thread-shaped contact electrification fiber, the thread-shaped ZnO nanorod piezoelectric body sensor, and the silver nanowire transparent electrode for ZnO/TiO2 core-shell nanoparticle dye-sensitized solar cell. The demand of wearable electronic sensors for health monitoring has been increasing in recent years. However, the primary energy sources for these devices are still batteries that need to be replaced or recharged frequently. These batteries are also bulky and not easily incorporated into a garment. The devices presented in this manuscript are our efforts to address the problem of providing continuous power for wearable devices.