11.2 Salt-in-Wood Piezoelectric Power Generators

Jonas Garemark

Postdoc

ETH Zürich

The nanowatt-level power density of current biobased piezoelectric energy harvesters restricts their applicative potential for the efficient conversion of biomechanical energy. We demonstrate a high-performing, renewable piezoelectric device incorporating green piezo-active Rochelle salt in a laser-drilled wood template to form crystal pillar arrays. By investigating the effect of different crystal pillar configurations on the piezoelectric response, a shearing design (45°-oriented pillars) shows potential of up to 30 V and a current of 4 µA – corresponding to a 10-fold power increase compared to single-crystalline Rochelle salt. Additionally, we explored a concept of direct laser graphitization on the crystal surfaces using a fully renewable ink, which creates low-resistance electrodes (36 Ω sq⁻¹). The entire device adheres to green chemistry principles and is designed with a cradle-to-grave approach that allows for disassembly, recycling, and reuse. Our nanogenerator outperforms existing biobased devices and competes with traditional lead-based options in terms of power generation while also demonstrating a significantly lower environmental impact, as indicated by a life-cycle assessment.

References:J. Garemark et al., Adv. Funct. Mater. 2025, 2418454

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