Shi Hyeong Kim

Mechanical energy harvesters are needed for diverse applications, including self-powered wireless sensors, structural and human health monitoring systems, and the extraction of energy from ocean waves. We report carbon nanotube yarn harvesters that electrochemically convert tensile or torsional mechanical energy into electrical energy without requiring an external bias voltage. Stretching coiled yarns generated 250 watts per kilogram of peak electrical power when cycled up to 30 hertz, as well a

Hygromorph artificial muscles are attractive as self-powered actuators driven by moisture from the ambient environment. Previously reported hygromorph muscles have been largely limited to bending or torsional motions or as tensile actuators with low work and energy densities. Herein, we developed a hybrid yarn artificial muscle with a unique coiled and wrinkled structure, which can be actuated by either changing relative humidity or contact with water. The muscle provides a large tensile stroke

Low-grade waste heat is harvested as electrical energy by employing thermally-powered torsional and tensile artificial muscles made from inexpensive polymer fibers used for fishing line and sewing thread.

Abstract The challenges of textiles that can generate and store energy simultaneously for wearable devices are to fabricate yarns that generate electrical energy when stretched, yarns that store this electrical energy, and textile geometries that facilitate these functions. To address these challenges, this research incorporates highly stretchable electrochemical yarn harvesters, where available mechanical strains are large and electrochemical energy storing yarns are achieved by weaving. The so

Predicting and preventing disasters in difficult-to-access environments, such as oceans, requires self-powered monitoring devices. Since the need to periodically charge and replace batteries is an economic and environmental concern, energy harvesting from external stimuli to supply electricity to batteries is increasingly being considered. Especially, in aqueous environments including electrolytes, coiled carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn harvesters have been reported as an emerging approach for conver

Magnetically driven torsional actuation of a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) yarn was realized by first biscrolling NdFeB magnetic particles into helical yarn corridors to make a magnetic MWNT yarn. The actuating device comprised a pristineMWNT yarn that was connected to the magnetic MWNT yarn, with a paddle attached between these yarns. The application of a magnetic field reversibly drove torsional actuation of up to 80° within ∼0.67 seconds. This magnetic actuator was remotely powered, and

Torsional behaviors of polymer-infiltrated carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn muscles have been investigated in relation to molecular architecture by using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Two polymers with different stiffnesses, polystyrene (PS) and poly(styrene-b-isoprene-b-styrene) (SIS), were uniformly infiltrated into CNT yarns for electrothermal torsional actuation. The torsional behaviors of hybrid yarn muscles are completely explained by the volume change of each polymer, based on the height and f

The development of practical, cost-effective systems for the conversion of low-grade waste heat to electrical energy is an important area of renewable energy research. We here demonstrate a thermal energy harvester that is driven by the small temperature fluctuations provided by natural convection. This harvester uses coiled yarn artificial muscles, comprising well-aligned shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) microfibers, to convert thermal energy to torsional mechanical energy, which is then electr

Abstract Understanding the ion dynamics within the electric double layer (EDL) is crucial for maximizing the potential of chemo‐mechanical energy harvesters. This study elucidates the electrochemical response of EDL to the compressive mechanical stimulation of carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns from the perspective of ion adsorption. The results revealed that H 3 O + contributed to the ionic capacitance of the EDL by forming a polarized layer with Cl − on the outer Helmholtz plane. The unique molecular

Abstract Developing mechanical energy harvesters for electrical stimulation (ES) needed to augment cell behavior is a burgeoning area of interest. Mechanical energy harvesters that can generate electrical energy in electrolyte‐containing aqueous environments offer a unique solution for delivering ES to cells. In this work, a fully integrated ES assembly (FESA) is introduced that comprises coiled polydopamine (PDA) containing carbon nanotube yarn (CNT) harvesters, serving as ES generators, and po

Electrochemically powered carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn muscles are of increasing interest because of their advantageous features as artificial muscles. They are light, and have high electrical properties, mechanical strength, and chemical stability. Twist-based CNT yarn muscles show superior actuation performance: 30 times the work capacity and 85 times the power density of natural muscles. Despite achieving these high performances, there is still potential for performance improvement because thei

Underwater mechanical energy harvesters are of rising interest due to their potential for various applications, such as self-powered ocean energy harvesters, monitoring devices, and wave sensors. Pressure-responsive films and stretch-responsive fibers, which provide high electrical power in electrolytes and have simple structures that do not require packing systems, are promising as harvesters in the ocean environment. One drawback of underwater mechanical energy harvesters is that they are high

Biscrolling aligned electrospun fiber (AEF) sheets and carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets were fabricated for conductive, functional yarns by a versatile dry composite method. Our biscrolling (twist-based spinning) method is based on spinnable polymer fiber sheets and spinnable CNT sheets unlike the previous biscrolling technique using unspinnable nanopowders and spinnable CNT sheets. The CNT sheet in composite yarns acted as effective electrical wires forming dual Archimedean multilayer rolled-up nan