# Harnessing Dynamic Electrostatic Fields for Energy Generation with Diode Cells

## TL;DR

A new method uses stationary diode cells to generate electricity from changing electrostatic fields, offering versatile applications for powering small electronics and medical devices.

## Contribution

Introduces stationary diode cells (DiCes) that generate electricity from dynamic electrostatic fields, enabling direct DC output without motion alignment.

## Key findings

- DiCes with multiple diodes can directly output DC voltage and current.
- A 0.02 m² DiCe with 360 diodes achieves a maximum DC power density of 26.5 W·m⁻².
- DiCes function in both contact and non-contact modes for diverse applications.

## Abstract

Harvesting energy from distributed mechanical motions has garnered significance in future power sources for small electronics and sensors. Although technologies like triboelectric nanogenerators have shown promising results, their efficacy hinges on the alignment of motion vectors and device architectures. Here, an approach employing stationary diode cells (DiCes) to generate electricity is presented. This approach leverages dynamically changing electrostatic fields to induce potential differences across diode junctions via electrostatic induction, which is verified theoretically and experimentally. DiCes constructed with multiple diodes can directly output DC voltage and current. A 0.02 m2 sized DiCe contains 360 diodes can supply a DC voltage and current of maximum 490 V and 1.08 mA, respectively, which equals a DC power density of 26.5 W·m−2. Capable of functioning in both contact and non‐contact modes, DiCes offer versatile applications, from wirelessly powering implanted medical devices to harvesting energy from vehicles and roads.

Stationary diode cells (DiCes) are fabricated to harvest energy from dynamically changing electrostatic fields by leveraging the unique current modulation properties of diodes. The DiCes can directly output DC voltage and current. Their applications range from energy harvesting and powering implanted devices to use in sensors.