Future electronics might be rechargeable through their movement

According to a new research published by the Advanced Energy Materials journal, several devices can be recharged through their movement only. The process will use the Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENGs).

The study by the researchers at the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute shows how an electrical current can be generated by contact between multiple materials. The scientists have also created a step-by-step guide for creating a TENG and formulated a "TENG power transfer equation," in addition to "TENG impedance plots."

This isn't the first time a human body has been used to charge a device. We have seen this with several wearable devices, ordinarily driven by body heat like the Matrix Powerwatch X showcased at CES this year.

However, the thermoelectric generators (TEGs) used in that wearable shouldn't be confused with the TENGs that were used during the new experiment. In the case of the wearable, the temperature between the two materials that were separated by insulating thermoplastics was required to be different.

The heat transference between the materials generated the electricity. This isn't the case with the TENGs, which totally rely on the movement generating contact among organic, inorganic, or hybrid materials to generate current.

The former technology required a human body, but with TENGs sources of energy can also include movement caused by wind, waves, and machine vibration to generate current to fuel up the device.

Because a human body isn't required to generate heat, the possible uses of something similar to TENG could go beyond past wearables. With more research and optimization, we might eventually see use as secondary charging method that could be incorporated in wearables and smartphones.

Besides, according to a study by the University of Birmingham researchers, sodium-ion battery technology can hold as much as seven times the charge of the current lithium-ion solution. However, in an article published in the Journal of American Chemical Society, the biggest issue is the storage of these sodium ions.

Considering the fact that a sodium ion isn't small enough to fit between the graphite carbon layers seen on conventional lithium-ion batteries. Earlier, solutions had glass substrates and other materials. According to the recent study, the best intermediary for the batteries could be phosphorus.