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Chicago – U.S. scientists have developed a microfiber cloth that can generate its own electricity, which is enough to recharge a cell phone or to play a small MP3 player without any power interruption.

Press Release: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111038

“A shirt made out of this fabric can harness power from its wearer by a simple walking or even from a slight breeze” – said the scientists.

“The nano generator made up of fiber would be a cheap and easy method to harness energy from the physical movement,” said Zhong Lin Wang who led the study.

The research contains the accuracy of nanotechnology based on the principle known as the piezoelectric effect, in which electricity is generated when pressure is applied to certain materials.

The nano generator harvests power from semi conductive properties of zinc oxide nano wires. These wires are so minute that they are 50 nanometers in diameter and 1,000 times smaller than a human hair which is attached into the fabric. The wires are modified into pairs of microscopic bristles, shaped like a baby-bottle brush.

In each pair, one of the fibers will be coated with gold which acts as an electrode. When the bristles come in contact with each other through a physical movement of a person, the wires convert the mechanical motion into electricity.

“When a nano wire bends, it generates electricity. The fabric generates electricity from the physical movement of your body.” said Zhong in an interview.

The nano generator was made by coating the fibers with a polymer. Then it is coated with an additional layer of zinc oxide. It further needs to be immersed into a reactive solution for 12 hours. This persuades the wires to enlarge. Another layer of polymer is added to prevent the zinc oxide from being scoured off. Further an ultra-thin layer of gold will be coated to some fibers, which acts as a conductor.

The current will be produced only when both the gold and the zinc oxide bristle comes in contact with each other. “Our estimation is that we can generate up to 80 milliwatts per square meter of this fabric. This power is enough to play a MP3 player or charge a cell phone battery,” he said.

“We’ve done a demonstration of the principle and the fundamental mechanism.” – Said Zhong.

The interesting fact is that it doesn’t require any unusual movement to generate the current.

Even though gold is used in the research, less-expensive metals will also work effectively. Whatever the metal it would be that will not increase the weight of the fabric.

These fabrics will be useful for hikers and soldiers in the field. It helps to recharge small sensors used in environmental observation or biomedicine.

The major draw back of this idea is that zinc oxide corrodes when it becomes wet. One trip through the washing machine or one rainy day would damage these clothes.

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