Electricity from wood

Scientists of KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have succeeded in generating electricity from wood by using water movements in the porous vascular structure, a process called transpiration in biology. Transpiration is the release of water vapor by plants (vegetation) to the atmosphere in their environment. Plants absorb water in a liquid form through their roots and lose water in a gaseous state through the stomata on the leaves. A small part of the water (about 1 percent) that is absorbed by the roots of the plant remains in the plant. The rest of the water transpires from the leaves into the atmosphere. However, the process also produces small amounts of electricity. The amount of electricity is affected by several factors, such as surface area, porosity (density), surface charge, how easily water can pass through the material, and the water solution itself. The KTH researchers have now tried to increase the yield of bioelectricity by using nano-engineering to optimize the properties of the wood. By treating the porous cellulose network of wood with sodium hydroxide and introducing some chemical functionalities, the voltage was found to be ten times higher than in ordinary wood. Further optimization of the pH difference between wood and water showed a remarkable output power of 1.35 µW cm−2 is achieved. According to the researchers, the power generation can be easily scaled up by using larger samples or connecting smaller ones in series. The result of this work paves the way for the development of sustainable energy systems by using biomaterials through a scalable and green nanoengineering technology. spread. Previous support for this hypothesis was found through the examination of other Roman concrete samples that exhibited calcite-filled cracks. The researchers think their discovery can make building with concrete more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Credits: MIT News>

1 MIT en Harvard University in de VS, DMAT (Italy), Istituto Meccanica dei Materiali (Switzerland)

The article ‘Advancing Hydrovoltaic Energy Harvesting from Wood through Cell Wall Nanoengineering’ was published in Advanced Functional Materials, November 2022. It is online>

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Upper left natural wood. The three pieces of wood on the right have undergone different types of treatments that increase the surface area and reduce the pores that allow for rapid water transport through the material (Photo: Jonas Garemark/Advancing Hydrovoltaic Energy Harvesting from Wood through Cell Wall Nanoengineering)