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. 2025 Jul 9;15(1):24685.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-09628-1.

Water-based graphene oxide inks for inkjet-printed flexible moisture energy generators

Katerina Anagnostou #  1 , Massimo Urban #  2 , Evangelos Sotiropoulos  1 , Christos Polyzoidis  1 , Katerina Kavalieraki  1 , Kyriakos Mouratis  1 , Giulio Rosati  2 , Arben Merkoçi  3   4 , Konstantinos Rogdakis  5   6 , Emmanuel Kymakis  7   8
Affiliations

Water-based graphene oxide inks for inkjet-printed flexible moisture energy generators

Katerina Anagnostou et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

With the need for clean sustainable energy and low-waste practices rising, battery-free technologies that run on renewable ambient energy sources are an attractive solution to these environmental concerns. Herein, Graphene oxide (GO) and GO-PEDOT: PSS water-based inks were formulated from inexpensive precursor materials following user-friendly, up-scalable methods. GO-based moisture-active films were deposited on flexible lightweight substrates using inkjet printing to fabricate Moisture Energy Generators (MEG), devices that convert ambient moisture energy variation into a voltage output. The performance of the fabricated MEGs was evaluated using a custom-made automated humidity chamber, yielding an average voltage output of Vo=183 (± 1.76) mV for pure GO and Vo=194 (± 0.97) mV for GO-PEDOT: PSS, in the relative humidity range of 45-95%. We support that this study may provide fertile ground for the development of low-cost energy harvesters for self-powered portable and wearable technologies, minimising the need for batteries and reducing electronic waste.

Keywords: 2D nanomaterials; Flexible; Graphene oxide; Inkjet printing; Moisture energy generators; Printable inks.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Graphical representation summarising the operation of the inkjet-printed GO-based MEGs.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
(a) ATR-IR spectra, (b) Raman spectra and (c) XRD patterns of graphite oxide powder synthesised chemically via a modified Hummers’ method and its graphite precursor.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
(a) XPS survey spectrum and (b) deconvolution of C1s peak of as-prepared graphite oxide powder.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
(a) Chemical structures of GO and PEDOT: PSS. (b) UV-Vis absorption spectra of GO and GO-PEDOT: PSS dispersions (c) Flake size distribution of GO flakes in pure GO ink and GO-PEDOT: PSS ink, as measured by DLS.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
(a) ATR-IR and (b) Raman spectra of exfoliated GO flakes and GO-PEDOT: PSS blend (c) Detailed Raman spectrum of GO-PEDOT: PSS wherein the peaks that arise from the PEDOT: PSS component are indicated.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
(a) Optical microscope image of printed MEG layout with dimensions given in mm. (b, c) Demonstration of the flexibility of the developed MEGs. Voltage output as a response to applied relative humidity (RH) variation of (d) GO-based MEG and (e) GO-PEDOT: PSS.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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