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The zebra’s distinctive appearance has been the focus of scientific debate, and its black and white stripes confuse predators while deterring horseflies from biting them. Scientists have recently discovered that zebras can raise their black fur to transfer heat away from the skin to regulate temperature.
Scientists have also used zebras as inspiration to create devices that use contrasting hues as heat conductors to generate electricity. According to South Korea’s Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), researchers have developed a flexible, biodegradable fiber-based thermoelectric generator (TEG), which uses black and white parts to form a temperature gradient below the surface to generate electricity.
GIST professor and study author Young Min Song explained, “Traditional TEG designs are large and bulky because they rely on natural convection, which causes out-of-plane temperature gradients. Now we reduce that by creating a flexible, biodegradable in-plane device.” the effect on the environment”.
The biodegradable PLCL material creates white stripes that reflect sunlight and emit infrared radiation to keep the area below cool, while PEDOT:PSS appears black visually, providing the heat absorption needed for temperature gradients below, while being designed to pass through Silicon nanomembranes (nanomembranes), this new TEG design can generate a temperature difference of 22°C for the gradient.
While the lab model is just a small prototype, the researchers say it can generate electricity 24 hours a day, and the material fully biodegrades within 35 days in salt water.
(Source of the first image:pixabay）
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