Chemically modified carbon nanotube fibers enable unique power sources driven entirely by a chemical potential gradient. Electrical current (11.9 μA mg⁻¹) and potential (525 mV) are reversibly produced by localized acetonitrile doping under ambient conditions. An inverse length-scaling of the maximum power as L^−1.03 that creates specific powers as large as 30.0 kW kg⁻¹ highlights the potential for microscale energy generation. We demonstrate that this Asymmetric Chemical Doping (ACD) electricity induction method can be scaled using a printing/patterning technique for the carbon nanotube fiber generators. This allows us to develop a conformable carbon based voltage generator that can be grafted onto human skin in a facile manner.

Reference: Advanced Materials, 2016, 28, 9752-9757