Thermoelectric energy harvesting electronic skin (e-skin) Patch with reconfigurable carbon nanotube clays

초록

Advances in the electronic skin (e-skin) have led to the next electronic paradigm, which involves the integration of devices with the human body. However, skin-adaptable permanent power technology is immature in terms of improving sensitivity to explosion hazard and facilitating wire/wireless charging, thus restricting the practical application of the e-skin. Here, we present a thermoelectric clay made of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and non-ionic surfactants as viscous additives for use in skin-adaptable permanent power sources for the e-skin. The controlled kneading ratio of the CNT to the viscous additive (1:5) makes the thermoelectric clay reconfigurable with a lower elastic modulus than that of the human skin, providing skin adaptability with high elongation up to 100% and remendability after chapping. Through chemical doping, we produced n-type and p-type thermoelectric clays, optimized their electrical conductivities and Seebeck coefficients, and obtained enhanced ZT values. The thermoelectric output power was preserved over 80% of the initial value even more than one year. Finally, a skin-adaptable thermoelectric power patch for the e-skin was fabricated with five pairs of n-type and p-type thermoelectric clays, and its performance was demonstrated. The patch was successfully operated under severe folding, twisting, stretching on the human skin and even when punctured state at room temperature. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

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