Photo: Water Drops on a Metal Nanolayer

Posted on July 31, 2019

The above image shows water drops on a metal nanolayer. Scientists from Northwestern University and Caltech produced electricity by flowing water over the thin layers of inexpensive metals that have oxidized. The research paper was published in PNAS.

The researchers say, "The operational requirement of having to move a dynamically changing electrical double layer (a 'gate') across the nanostructure identified in prior approaches is confirmed for the structures and augmented by a need for electron transfer within the thermal oxide nanooverlayers terminating the metals. The simplicity of the approach allows for rapid implementation."

PHYSICS