The motion of molecules makes electricity

Abstract

At temperatures above absolute zero, molecules in any substance move constantly in a random manner. Now, researchers have developed a way to capture the energy from this motion of liquid molecules and convert it into electricity ( APL Mater. 2023, DOI: 10.1063/5.0169055 ). The 2 cm x 2 cm prototype device produces picowatt levels of power. But the concept could eventually provide microwatt power levels that could run items like wearable electronics and medical implants, says Yucheng Luan, who founded East Eight Energy in Shanghai and led the work. Molecular thermal motion, he says, provides a small amount of energy, but liquids and gases are found everywhere. “If their motion can be converted into electricity , the potential is very huge. This is a new, green, environmentally friendly energy source,” Luan says. In an effort to produce sustainable power, many teams are trying to harvest energy from sources such as