Optimizing Hydrophilicity in NiO/Graphene Composites Via Stearic Acid Treatment for Humidity-to-Energy Applications

• Published in: International Journal of Integrated Engineering
• Main Author: Mustakim N.S.M.; Kamaruzaman D.; Subki A.S.R.A.; Abdullah M.H.; Malek M.F.; Parimon N.; Ahmad M.K.; Bakar S.A.; Vasimalai N.; Mamat M.H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Penerbit UTHM 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85216378612&doi=10.30880%2fijie.2024.16.07.024&partnerID=40&md5=2caf28faa690ef9cd1ec849b2d5fd729

Converting water molecules into energy, this research field has garnered significant attention, yet it is still in its early stages of exploration. The main challenge in humidity-to-energy development is the effectiveness of material in water absorption. This article presents a study on surface modification through stearic acid treatment aimed at optimizing the hydrophilicity of hygroscopic material, thereby improving humidity energy harvesting performance. Here, we successfully synthesized a novel NiO/Graphene on cellulose substrate (NiO/Gr/cellulose) as the hygroscopic material using the sonicated solution immersion method. A humidity-to-energy device was fabricated by utilizing the NiO/Gr/cellulose, yielding an output voltage of 2.26 mV, a current density of 0.18 nA/cm², and a power output of 0.51 pW at 75% relative humidity. This research highlights the potential of NiO/Gr/cellulose with sufficient hydrophilicity as a promising hygroscopic material, offering significant future prospects in humidity energy harvesting technology. © (2024), (Penerbit UTHM). All rights reserved.