Charles Q. Choi
02 Feb 2023

Twistrons, made from spun carbon nanotubes (CNTs), convert
mechanical movement into electricity. UT Dallas researchers
made a new kind of twistron by intertwining three individual
strands of spun carbon nanotube fibers to make a single yarn.
Their method was similar to the way conventional yarns used in
textiles are constructed.

Novel yarns made with carbon nanotubes can generate electricity
from mechanical energy better than any other material to date,
a new study finds.

The high-tech yarns, known as twistrons, can be sewn into
clothes to produce electricity from human motion or deployed in
the ocean to harvest energy from waves, researchers say.

Electromagnetic generators, which essentially function as
electric motors run in reverse, have long been used to convert
mechanical energy from wind and water to electricity. Although
these perform well on large scales, they perform much less well
on smaller scales. Therefore, researchers have investigated a
wide variety of materials to harvest mechanical energy-for
instance, using body motions to power wearable electronics.

Scientists first reported the invention of twistrons about five
years ago. They created these materials by spinning carbon
nanotubes into high-strength, lightweight fibers that can also
incorporate electrolytes. Twisting or stretching these yarns
increases their density, which in turn generates a voltage that
can drive an electric current.

"Our dream in the future is to be able to use our twistrons to
harvest the mechanical energy in the oceans to power cities,"
says study senior author Ray Baughman, a materials scientist at
the University of Texas at Dallas.

[Full article]: https://spectrum.ieee.org/twistronics
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