Nanowire-quantum dot hybridized cell for harvesting sound and solar energies

We have demonstrated sound-wave-driven nanogenerators using both laterally bonded single wires and vertically aligned nanowire arrays for energy harvesting in the frequency range of 35-1000 Hz. The electricity produced by the single wire generator (SWG) is linearly proportional to the input acoustic energy, while the frequency does not affect the performance of the SWG in this study. By infiltrating CdS/CdTe quantum dots among vertical nanowires, we have fabricated a hybrid cell that simultaneously harvests both sound and solar energies. This demonstrates a possible approach for effectively harvesting available energies in our living environment with and without the presence of light.