# Photoenergy harvesting by ammonium molybdate soft hydrogel drops

**Authors:** Zelin Lu, Xinxin Hang, Zinan Zhao, Long Cheng, Yu Zeng, Bixuan Li, Menghan Tian, Baolei Liu, Xuchen Shan, Hongyan Zhu, Zhiying Wang, Menghao Ma, Jinliang Wang, Yongji Gong, Xiaolan Zhong, Yang Wang, Lingqian Chang, Fan Wang

PMC · DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-02016-4 · Light, Science & Applications · 2025-10-21

## TL;DR

A new biocompatible, flexible photoenergy harvesting system using ammonium molybdate hydrogel drops generates electricity from light and could power IoT devices or aid in tissue repair.

## Contribution

A novel photoenergy harvesting system using ammonium molybdate hydrogel drops that is flexible, biocompatible, and capable of generating electricity from light.

## Key findings

- The hydrogel device generates an open-circuit potential of ~250 mV under excitation light.
- The device maintains output power for milliseconds to thousands of seconds after light exposure ends.
- Scalable PAPH networks can regulate cell growth factors and aid in tissue repair.

## Abstract

Photoenergy harvesting is promising to power Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensors, freeing the limitations of wired power sources or batteries, enabling bio-integrated devices. However, existing photoenergy harvesting systems are restricted to solid or liquid configurations—limiting biocompatibility and space utilization—which makes obtaining flexible, biocompatible, light-harvesting devices a significant challenge. In this paper, inspired by natural ion gradient diffusion in organisms, offering an ion-hydrogel drops-based photoenergy harvesting base on ammonium molybdate. Through the photochemical process of ammonium molybdate, the electric potential of the device is regulated by the altered ion gradient and the redox pairs (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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				\begin{document}$${{[{\bf{Mo}}}_{{\bf{14}}}{{\bf{O}}}_{{\bf{46}}}]}^{{\boldsymbol{10}}-}$$\end{document}[Mo14O46]10−), to generate energy. When exposed to excitation light, a photo driven ammonium molybdate-hydrogel photoenergy harvester (PAPH) can generate an open-circuit potential of ~250 mV, and it can still obtain a considerable output power for milliseconds to thousands of seconds after the termination of the initial illumination. The reversible hydrogel droplets network allows for the recovery and fabrication of arbitrary structures of the PAPH. We further demonstrate the scalable PAPH networks can on-demand regulation of cell epithelial growth factor secretion and receptor expression, stimulate the cell proliferation, thereby facilitating biological tissue wound repair. This ionic hydrogel opens a new avenue for flexible, photoenergy harvesting, biocompatible devices.

By using light-responsive molybdate-based ionic hydrogel droplets for photo energy harvesting, can generate a voltage output of ~250 mV.

## Linked entities

- **Chemicals:** ammonium molybdate (PubChem CID 61578)

## Full-text entities

- **Chemicals:** ammonium molybdate (MESH:C022175), Mo (MESH:D008982)

## Full text

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## Figures

6 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12537955/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12537955