Overview
- Researchers at the Institute for Materials Science in Seville, led by Fernando Núñez-Gálvez, report in Nano Energy a hybrid perovskite device that harvests energy from sunlight and from falling raindrops.
- The design integrates triboelectric nanogenerators with an ultrathin fluorinated polymer layer deposited from C4F8 at room temperature, yielding a transparent surface that also provides antireflection, UV blocking and moisture protection.
- Testing recorded voltage spikes up to 110 volts in optimized single-layer trials, peaks around 12 volts per droplet in the integrated prototype, and roughly 4 mW/cm² in Andalusian rain (about 40 W/m²).
- Photovoltaic performance declined with the coating, achieving a best 17.9% power conversion efficiency and about 11.45% under simulated rain at half sunlight, roughly four percentage points below comparable ~22% perovskite cells.
- Durability assessments showed more than 17,000 droplet impacts with substantial function (~85% remaining), sealed stability beyond 300 hours and survival of brief immersion, though charge saturation and possible electrode corrosion point to near-term roles in IoT devices, smart-city signage and remote sensors.