Developing graphene-based microgenerators to power remote sensors

Ultra-low power sensors can bring monitoring to places that cannot be easily connected to power grids. All their power needs can come from small batteries or even microgenerators that can draw a voltage from ambient energy. As a result, they can be used in applications like remote monitoring or wildlife tracking.

Ashaduzzaman et al. demonstrated the ability to power a small temperature sensor using an array of small graphene-silicon solar cells and storage capacitors. The solar cells can charge the capacitors in a handful of minutes, and the capacitors can provide continuous power for the sensor to operate in both an active and a standby mode.

The authors explored graphene in part because its high electrical conductivity and optical transparency make it well suited to solar cells, and in part because of its other properties, such as its mechanical strength and flexibility, that allow it to generate power from other sources as well.

“We’ve identified that graphene has the ability to harvest energy from six different power sources,” said author Paul Thibado. “Our vision is to use all those sources to power these devices and have them last for decades.”

The team started with solar energy as a proof-of-concept before expanding to other approaches. Next, they plan to develop a graphene-based device that can harvest vibrational energy and another that can collect ambient radiation.

At the same time, their group is developing ultra-low power sensors that can use the microwatts of power generated by the graphene devices to measure pressure or mechanical stress, collect GPS data, or even record audio and video.

“These sensors really open up the possibility for taking ambient power sources and doing something useful with them,” said Thibado.

Source: “Array of mini-graphene-silicon solar cells intermittently recharges storage capacitors powering a temperature sensor,” by Ashaduzzaman, Syed M. Rahman, Md R. Kabir, James M. Mangum, Hung Do, Gordon Carichner, David Blaauw, and P. M. Thibado, Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B (2025). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0004618 .