title: Direct-current nanogenerator driven by ultrasonic waves.
abstract: We have developed a nanowire nanogenerator that is driven by an ultrasonic wave to produce continuous direct-current output. The nanogenerator was fabricated with vertically aligned zinc oxide nanowire arrays that were placed beneath a zigzag metal electrode with a small gap. The wave drives the electrode up and down to bend and/or vibrate the nanowires. A piezoelectric-semiconducting coupling process converts mechanical energy into electricity. The zigzag electrode acts as an array of parallel integrated metal tips that simultaneously and continuously create, collect, and output electricity from all of the nanowires. The approach presents an adaptable, mobile, and cost-effective technology for harvesting energy from the environment, and it offers a potential solution for powering nanodevices and nanosystems.
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0245, USA.
authors.forename: Xudong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jinhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhong Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004560:Electricity; D008839:Microelectrodes; D036103:Nanotechnology; D053770:Nanowires; D014465:Ultrasonics; D015034:Zinc Oxide
chemical_list: D015034:Zinc Oxide