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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Science Advances

Mechano-electrochemical energy harvesting and self-powered sensing via dynamic liquid metal–electrolyte interfaces

  • Xiangbo Zhou1
  • Hongda Lu1,2,3
  • Jialu Wang1
  • Yipu Guo1
  • Liping Gong1
  • Jian Shu4,5
  • Zhisheng Lv5,6
  • Haiping Du1
  • Shiwu Zhang4
  • Michael D. Dickey3
  • Weihua Li1
6 affiliations
  1. 1School of Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
  2. 2Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia.
  3. 3Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
  4. 4Institute of Humanoid Robots, Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
  5. 5School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore.
  6. 6Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE, Future Technologies), Xiang’an Campus, Xiamen University, Xiang’an South Road, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
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Abstract

Wearable devices, stretchable sensors, and soft electronics benefit from harvesting ambient energy using compliant materials, yet existing approaches often face limitations in power density, scalability, and electrode adaptability. Here, we report a liquid metal mechano-electrochemical energy harvester (LMMEEH) that converts mechanical stimuli into electricity through dynamically regulated electrode-electrolyte interfaces. Mechanical motion changes the interfacial area and drives asymmetric Faradaic reactions associated with dynamic oxide formation and dissolution, generating electrical output. The fluidity, high surface tension, and self-renewing surface chemistry of liquid metals enable rapid interfacial reformation, large reversible deformation, and stable cyclic operation. The device achieves a power density of 140.2 microwatts per square meter and scales to a 40-unit array producing 2 volts. Spatial and temporal programming of the liquid metal interfaces further enables synchronized three-phase alternating-current generation. We demonstrate wave-driven emergency lighting, self-powered pressure sensing, and real-time physiological monitoring. This work establishes dynamic liquid metal electrochemical interfaces as a scalable strategy for soft mechanical energy harvesting and self-powered electronics.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{zhou2026mechanoelectrochemical,
  title = {{Mechano-electrochemical energy harvesting and self-powered sensing via dynamic liquid metal–electrolyte interfaces}},
  author = {Xiangbo Zhou and Hongda Lu and Jialu Wang and Yipu Guo and Liping Gong and Jian Shu and Zhisheng Lv and Haiping Du and Shiwu Zhang and Michael D. Dickey and Weihua Li},
  journal = {Science Advances},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.1126/sciadv.aej0867},
  url = {https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/sciadv.aej0867},
  note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Mechano-electrochemical energy harvesting and self-powered sensing via dynamic liquid metal–electrolyte interfaces
AU  - Xiangbo Zhou
AU  - Hongda Lu
AU  - Jialu Wang
AU  - Yipu Guo
AU  - Liping Gong
AU  - Jian Shu
AU  - Zhisheng Lv
AU  - Haiping Du
AU  - Shiwu Zhang
AU  - Michael D. Dickey
AU  - Weihua Li
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/04
JO  - Science Advances
DO  - 10.1126/sciadv.aej0867
UR  - https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/sciadv.aej0867
AB  - Wearable devices, stretchable sensors, and soft electronics benefit from harvesting ambient energy using compliant materials, yet existing approaches often face limitations in power density, scalability, and electrode adaptability. Here, we report a liquid metal mechano-electrochemical energy harvester (LMMEEH) that converts mechanical stimuli into electricity through dynamically regulated electrode-electrolyte interfaces. Mechanical motion changes the interfacial area and drives asymmetric Faradaic reactions associated with dynamic oxide formation and dissolution, generating electrical output. The fluidity, high surface tension, and self-renewing surface chemistry of liquid metals enable rapid interfacial reformation, large reversible deformation, and stable cyclic operation. The device achieves a power density of 140.2 microwatts per square meter and scales to a 40-unit array producing 2 volts. Spatial and temporal programming of the liquid metal interfaces further enables synchronized three-phase alternating-current generation. We demonstrate wave-driven emergency lighting, self-powered pressure sensing, and real-time physiological monitoring. This work establishes dynamic liquid metal electrochemical interfaces as a scalable strategy for soft mechanical energy harvesting and self-powered electronics.
SN  - 2375-2548
ER  -