Issue

Vol. 18 (2026)

Interfacial Engineering for High-Output, Mechanically Robust Fully Stretchable Moisture-Electric Generators

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02234-4
Qi Meng
State Key Laboratory of Precision Welding & Joining of Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, People’s Republic of China
He Zhang
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, People’s Republic of China
Jiayun Feng
State Key Laboratory of Precision Welding & Joining of Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, People’s Republic of China
Minghan Yu
State Key Laboratory of Precision Welding & Joining of Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, People’s Republic of China
Yuxin Sun
State Key Laboratory of Precision Welding & Joining of Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, People’s Republic of China
Shujun Wang
State Key Laboratory of Precision Welding & Joining of Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, People’s Republic of China
Yuxiang Sun
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, People’s Republic of China
Mingze Sun
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, People’s Republic of China
Jie Xu
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, People’s Republic of China
Haijiao Xie
Hangzhou Yanqu Information Technology Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310003, People’s Republic of China
Qing Sun
State Key Laboratory of Precision Welding & Joining of Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, People’s Republic of China
Yanhong Tian
State Key Laboratory of Precision Welding & Joining of Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Yanhong Tian

tianyh@hit.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 18 (2026), Article Number: 379

Abstract

Fully stretchable hydrogel-based moisture-electric generators (FSHMEGs) are promising power sources for wearable and implantable electronics. Current FSHMEGs are constrained by low electrical output and mechanical fragility, mainly due to weak interfacial adhesiveness within multilayered architectures. Here, we introduce an intrinsically adhesive hydrogel that forms robust hydrogel-electrode interfaces, enabling efficient transfer of both electrical charges and mechanical loads during deformation. As a result, the device delivers an open-circuit voltage of 0.94 V and a current density of 141 µA cm−2 at 85% relative humidity, and maintains stable output for more than 220 h. The reinforced interface also imparts exceptional mechanical durability, exhibiting only negligible performance degradation after 8000 folding cycles and 1000 stretching cycles at 80% strain. Benefiting from rapid humidity responsiveness and continuous power delivery, the device enables non-invasive respiration monitoring and can directly power wearable electronics (e.g., electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors). This interfacial-engineering strategy offers a practical pathway toward high-performance moisture-electric generators with broad potential in energy harvesting, bioelectronics, and self-powered sensing systems.


Hightlights:
1 Introduces an intrinsically adhesive interfacial engineering strategy for hydrogel-based moisture-electric generators, enabling simultaneous enhancement of electrical output and mechanical robustness.
2 Reveals the mechanism of enhanced interfacial charge transfer and suppressed delamination through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis, ab initio molecular dynamics/density functional theory simulations, and mechanical characterization.
3 Achieves long-term operational stability (220 h) and exceptional mechanical durability (8000 folding cycles and 1000 stretching cycles at 80% strain), with successful demonstrations in wearable respiration monitoring and electrocardiogram powering.

Keywords

Moisture-electric generators Hydrogel Full stretchability Interfacial engineering
Meng, Qi, He Zhang, Jiayun Feng, Minghan Yu, Yuxin Sun, Shujun Wang, Yuxiang Sun, Mingze Sun, Jie Xu, Haijiao Xie, Qing Sun, and Yanhong Tian. 2026. “Interfacial Engineering for High-Output, Mechanically Robust Fully Stretchable Moisture-Electric Generators”. Nano-Micro Letters 18 (May):379. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02234-4.
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