A flexible robotic skin that can generate electricity and a method of making the same

Abstract

The application discloses a flexible robot skin capable of generating electricity and a preparation method thereof. The skin structure comprises a photothermal layer, a thermoelectric layer, an isolation layer and a thermoelectric base layer. The photothermal layer uses PDMS as a base material. The thermoelectric layer is paved with a thermoelectric film made of PEDOT:PSS and PC-Te and a silver foil to form a high-temperature end of a thermoelectric matrix. The isolation layer is made of a mixture of PDMS and aerogel. The thermoelectric base layer is paved with a thermoelectric film made of SWCNT and PC-Te and a silver foil to form a low-temperature end of the thermoelectric base layer. The skin structure greatly improves the photothermal conversion capacity. The photothermal layer collects light energy in the external environment and converts the light energy into electric energy through the thermoelectric layer. The electric energy can be used to supplement the electric energy of a robot battery during the work of the robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic skin, and in particular to a power-generating flexible robotic skin and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources. With rapid economic development, fossil fuel consumption has increased dramatically, leading to environmental pollution and global warming. Developing clean and renewable energy technologies has become a crucial factor for the sustainable development of human society. Energy harvesting technologies that convert environmental energy into electricity have received widespread attention. Mechanical energy, solar energy, and wind energy are important energy sources for sustainable development in today's society. Nanogenerators, originating from Maxwell's displacement current, are widely considered a promising mechanical energy harvesting technology with enormous application potential in green energy, self-powered sensors, and implantable systems. Besides mechanical energy, thermal energy is also abundant and ubiquitous in our environment, but it is often wasted. Currently, pyroelectric and thermoelectric effects are widely used to develop thermal energy harvesting technologies. Based on this, this invention provides a flexible robotic skin based on an Ag / MXene photothermal film and a Te / PEDOT thermoelectric layer to harvest thermal energy from the surrounding environment and convert it into electricity, significantly extending the robot's working time. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides a flexible robotic skin that can generate electricity, capable of collecting light and mechanical energy from the surrounding environment and converting it into electrical energy. The robotic skin includes a photothermal layer, a thermoelectric layer, an insulating layer, and a thermoelectric base layer.

[0004] The photothermal layer uses PDMS as the substrate, the thermoelectric layer is laid with a thermoelectric film made of PEDOT:PSS and PC-Te and silver foil to form a high-temperature end of the thermoelectric matrix, the isolation layer is made of a mixture of PDMS and aerogel, the thermoelectric base layer is laid with a thermoelectric film made of SWCNT and PC-Te and silver foil to form a low-temperature end of the thermoelectric base layer matrix, and the isolation layer isolates the thermoelectric layer and the thermoelectric base layer.

[0005] Furthermore, the photothermal layer uses PDMS as the substrate and a material obtained by hybridizing Ag nanoparticles and MXene as the filler. The ratio of substrate to filler is 3:2.

[0006] Furthermore, the thermoelectric layer is formed by laying a thermoelectric film made of PEDOT:PSS and PC-Te and a silver foil to form a thermoelectric matrix, and then using PDMS as the curing material; wherein the thermoelectric film is made by mixing PEDOT:PSS dispersion and PC-Te dispersion in a ratio of 1:3.

[0007] Furthermore, the isolation layer is made by mixing PDMS and aerogel in a 1:1 volume ratio.

[0008] Furthermore, the thermoelectric base layer is laid with a thermoelectric film made of SWCNT and PC-Te and a silver foil to form a thermoelectric base layer matrix, and then supplemented with PDMS as a curing material; wherein the thermoelectric film is made by mixing SWCNT dispersion and PC-Te dispersion in a ratio of 1:3.

[0009] This invention also provides a method for preparing a power-generating flexible robotic skin, characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0010] (1) Holes of 0.05 μm are made at intervals of 0.1 μm on the thermoelectric layer and the base material of the thermoelectric layer, and the resulting material is then cut into rectangular materials of 1 mm * 5 mm according to the design.

[0011] (2) Using a 10-20μm PDMS film as the substrate material, the thermoelectric layer base material is laid on the PDMS film according to the skin design requirements. The rectangular materials are spaced 3mm apart, and 0.5mm wide silver foil lines are used as connecting materials to construct the thermoelectric layer base matrix. Finally, the input and output ends of the matrix are led out using silver foil.

[0012] (3) Mix the PDMS polymer solution and coagulation solution in a ratio of 10:1, stir evenly and degas under vacuum, spray the mixture onto the film formed in step (2) to form a 5-10 micrometer coating, and then heat at 150°C for 15 minutes to cure.

[0013] (4) Spray the PDMS aerogel solution onto the film to form a 100-200μm sprayed layer, and heat it at 150℃ for 15min to cure it;

[0014] (5) Lay the thermoelectric layer material prepared in step (1) on the film according to step (2) to form a thermoelectric layer matrix, and connect the silver foil of the input end brought out in step (2) to the input end directly above.

[0015] The PDMS polymer and coagulating liquid were mixed in a ratio of 10:1, stirred evenly, and then degassed under vacuum. The mixture was sprayed onto the film formed in step (2) to form a 5-10 micrometer coating, and then cured at 150°C for 15 minutes.

[0016] (6) Spray the photothermal mixture onto the film to form a 10-20 μm photothermal coating, and then heat it at 150°C for 15 min to cure it, forming a flexible robot skin that can generate electricity.

[0017] This invention provides a flexible robotic skin based on Ag / MXene photothermal film and Te / PEDOT thermoelectric layer to collect thermal energy from the surrounding environment and convert it into electrical energy, which can significantly extend the working time of the robot. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of the robot's skin.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the thermoelectric layer matrix;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the base layer matrix of the thermoelectric layer;

[0021] Among them, the photothermal layer-1, the thermoelectric layer-2, the isolation layer-3, the thermoelectric base layer-4, the rectangular material-5, the silver foil wire-6, the input end-7, and the output end-8 / 9. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will be further illustrated below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be understood that the embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that after reading the teachings of this invention, those skilled in the art can make various alterations or modifications to the invention, and these equivalent forms also fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0023] like Figure 1-3 As shown, the present invention provides a flexible robotic skin that can generate electricity, capable of collecting light and mechanical energy from the surrounding environment and converting it into electrical energy. The robotic skin includes a photothermal layer 1, a thermoelectric layer 2, an insulating layer 3, and a thermoelectric base layer 4.

[0024] The photothermal layer collects light energy from the surrounding environment and converts it into heat energy. A thermoelectric layer is prepared below the photothermal layer to convert heat energy into electrical energy output. The photothermal layer is mainly composed of thermoelectric composite materials PC-Te / PEDOT:PSS and PC-Te / SWCNT made of Te nanorods (PC-Te). When the temperature of one end of the thermoelectric material rises and the temperature of the other end decreases, a temperature difference is generated between the two ends of the material. Then, the charge carriers in the high-temperature part absorb heat and begin to migrate to the low-temperature part, and then release heat again at the low-temperature end to recombin. PC-Te / PEDOT:PSS is used to form the high-temperature end of the thermoelectric layer 2, and PC-Te / SWCNT is used to form the low-temperature end of the thermoelectric layer 4. The isolation layer 3 is formed by using PDMS and thermogel to isolate the thermoelectric layer 2 and the thermoelectric layer 4.

[0025] The photothermal layer uses PDMS as the substrate and a hybrid material obtained by combining Ag nanoparticles and MXene as the filler. The PDMS polymer and coagulated liquid are uniformly mixed at a ratio of 10:1, stirred until homogeneous, and then mixed with the filler material at a ratio of 3:2 and stirred until homogeneous. Afterwards, air bubbles are removed in a vacuum container to form a photothermal hybrid solution. This material combines the plasma effect of Ag nanoparticles with the photothermal effect, high thermal conductivity, unique structural properties, and synergistic effect of MXene, resulting in extremely high photothermal conversion efficiency. The photothermal layer can collect light energy from the surrounding environment and convert it into heat energy.

[0026] The thermoelectric layer is composed of PEDOT:PSS and PC-Te. The PEDOT:PSS and PC-Te dispersions were mixed in a 1:3 ratio, sonicated for 30 min, and then stirred for 1 h. The mixed solution was drop-coated onto a pre-cleaned glass substrate and vacuum-dried at 60°C for 4 h to form a uniform and dense film. The product was then placed on a heating plate at 160°C, and 12M sulfuric acid was drop-coated onto the surface of the product to ensure the sulfuric acid solution covered the film surface for 10 min. After treatment, the film was cooled to room temperature and then washed twice, sequentially with deionized water and anhydrous ethanol. The treated film was then dried under vacuum at 60°C for 10 h. This formed the second thermoelectric layer material.

[0027] The isolation layer is mainly composed of PDMS and aerogel. The PDMS polymer and the coagulation liquid are mixed in a ratio of 10:1 and stirred until uniform to form a PDMS solution. An equal volume of nano aerogel powder is added to the solution and stirred until uniform to form a PDMS aerogel solution.

[0028] The thermoelectric layer substrate is composed of SWCNT and PC-Te. SWCNT dispersion and PC-Te dispersion are mixed in deionized water at a mass ratio of 1:3. The mixture is sonicated for 1 hour to obtain a uniform dispersion. Then, using a porous nylon filter membrane with an average pore size of 0.22 μm as a substrate, the dispersion is filtered into a film using a vacuum filtration method. The finished product is vacuum dried at 60°C for 12 hours. The prepared composite film is then immersed in 1.5M H₂SO₄ for 10 minutes at room temperature, followed by treatment on a hot plate at 140°C for 2 minutes. After cooling to room temperature, the treated product is washed twice with deionized water and twice with anhydrous ethanol. The treated product is then vacuum dried at 60°C for 6 hours, thus producing the thermoelectric layer substrate material.

[0029] Preparation of PC-Te dispersion: First, ascorbic acid was dissolved in deionized water at a ratio of 2.5 g of ascorbic acid per 100 ml of deionized water, and stirred until completely dissolved. Then, PEDOT:PSS dispersion was added at a ratio of 1:80 to PEDOT:PSS and deionized water, and stirred continuously to form a homogeneous solution. 0.0554 times the mass of sodium tellurite of ascorbic acid was added to the above solution, and stirred to form a homogeneous dispersion. The dispersion was continuously stirred and reacted in an oil bath at 90°C for 20 h. After the reaction, the product was cooled to room temperature and centrifuged at 11000 rad / min for 30 min. The supernatant was discarded, retaining the dark precipitate at the bottom. The precipitate was redispersed in deionized water, washed, and centrifuged again, repeated several times until the supernatant turned light blue. The final product was directly dispersed in deionized water and sonicated for 1 h to obtain a homogeneous dispersion.

[0030] This invention also provides a method for preparing a power-generating flexible robotic skin, characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0031] (1) Holes of 0.05 μm are made at intervals of 0.1 μm on the thermoelectric layer and the thermoelectric layer base material, and the resulting material is then cut into rectangular material 5 of 1 mm * 5 mm according to the design;

[0032] (2) Using a 10-20μm PDMS film as the substrate material, the thermoelectric layer base material is laid on the PDMS film according to the skin design requirements. The rectangular materials 5 are spaced 3mm apart, and 0.5mm wide silver foil lines 6 are used as connecting materials to construct the thermoelectric layer base matrix. Finally, the input end 7 and output end 8 and 9 of the matrix are led out using silver foil.

[0033] (3) Mix the PDMS polymer solution and coagulation solution in a ratio of 10:1, stir evenly and degas under vacuum, spray the mixture onto the film formed in step (2) to form a 5-10 micrometer coating, and then heat at 150°C for 15 minutes to cure.

[0034] (4) Spray the PDMS aerogel solution onto the film to form a 100-200μm sprayed layer, and heat it at 150℃ for 15min to cure it;

[0035] (5) Lay the thermoelectric layer material prepared in step (1) on the film according to step (2) to form a thermoelectric layer matrix, and connect the silver foil of the input end brought out in step (2) to the input end directly above.

[0036] The PDMS polymer and coagulating liquid were mixed in a ratio of 10:1, stirred evenly, and then degassed under vacuum. The mixture was sprayed onto the film formed in step (2) to form a 5-10 micrometer coating, and then cured at 150°C for 15 minutes.

[0037] (6) Spray the photothermal mixture onto the film to form a 10-20 μm photothermal coating, and then heat it at 150°C for 15 min to cure it, forming a flexible robot skin that can generate electricity.

[0038] This invention provides a flexible robotic skin based on Ag / MXene photothermal film and Te / PEDOT thermoelectric layer to collect thermal energy from the surrounding environment and convert it into electrical energy, which can significantly extend the working time of the robot.

Claims

1. A flexible robotic skin that can generate electricity, characterized in that, It comprises photothermal layer (1), thermoelectric layer (2), isolation layer (3), thermoelectric base layer (4) which are stacked in turn from top to bottom, the photothermal layer (1) uses PDMS as base material, the thermoelectric layer (2) lays the thermoelectric film made of PEDOT:PSS and PC-Te and silver foil, forms the high temperature end of thermoelectric matrix, the isolation layer (3) is made of PDMS and aerogel, the thermoelectric base layer (4) lays the thermoelectric film made of SWCNT and PC-Te and silver foil, forms the low temperature end of thermoelectric base layer matrix, and the isolation layer (3) isolates the thermoelectric layer (2) and the thermoelectric base layer (4).

2. The power-generating flexible robotic skin of claim 1, wherein, The photothermal layer (1) uses PDMS as base material, and the material obtained by hybridizing Ag nanoparticles and MXene is used as filling material, and the ratio of base material and filling material is 3:

2.

3. The power-generating flexible robotic skin of claim 1, wherein, The thermoelectric layer (2) lays the thermoelectric film made of PEDOT:PSS and PC-Te and silver foil, forms thermoelectric matrix, and is supplemented by PDMS as curing material, wherein the thermoelectric film is made by mixing PEDOT:PSS dispersion liquid and PC-Te dispersion liquid in a ratio of 1:

3.

4. The power-generating flexible robotic skin of claim 1, wherein, The isolation layer (3) is made by mixing PDMS and aerogel in a volume ratio of 1:

1.

5. The power-generating flexible robotic skin of claim 1, wherein, The thermoelectric base layer (4) lays the thermoelectric film made of SWCNT and PC-Te and silver foil, forms thermoelectric base layer matrix, and is supplemented by PDMS as curing material, wherein the thermoelectric film is made by mixing SWCNT dispersion liquid and PC-Te dispersion liquid in a ratio of 1:

3.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: It comprises the following steps: (1) open 0.05 μm holes every 0.1 μm apart on the thermoelectric layer and thermoelectric layer base material, and then cut the obtained material into 1 mm*5 mm rectangular material according to the design; (2) use 10-20 μm PDMS film as base material, lay the thermoelectric layer base material on the PDMS film according to the skin design requirements, and space the rectangular materials by 3 mm, and use 0.5 mm wide silver foil wire as connecting material to arrange the thermoelectric layer base matrix, and finally use silver foil to lead out the input and output ends of the matrix; (3) mix PDMS polymer liquid and coagulation liquid in a ratio of 10:1, stir uniformly and vacuum degassing, spray the mixed liquid on the film formed in step (2) to form a 5-10 μm spraying layer, and then heat at 150 DEG C for 15 min for curing; (4) spray PDMS aerogel solution on the film to form a 100-200 μm spraying layer, and heat at 150 DEG C for 15 min for curing; (5) lay the thermoelectric layer material prepared in step (1) on the film according to step (2) to form a thermoelectric layer matrix, and connect the input end silver foil led out in step (2) with the input end above, mix PDMS polymer liquid and coagulation liquid in a ratio of 10:1, stir uniformly and vacuum degassing, spray the mixed liquid on the film formed in step (2) to form a 5-10 μm spraying layer, and then heat at 150 DEG C for 15 min for curing; (6) The photo-thermal mixed solution is sprayed on the film to form a photo-thermal coating layer with a thickness of 10-20 μm, and then the photo-thermal coating layer is heated at a temperature of 150 °C for 15 min to solidify, thereby forming the flexible robot skin capable of generating electricity.

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