IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,451,821
Granted Patent B2
US 12,451,821 · App. 17/280,555 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Electric power generation from ambient humidity using protein nanowires

Inventors: Jun Yao (Boston, MA); Derek Lovley (Amherst, MA); Xiaomeng Liu (Boston, MA)
Assignee: University of Massachusetts
H02N1/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,451,821
App. No.
17/280,555
Granted
Oct 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electric power generation system is provided. The electric power generation system includes an electric power generation device and an ambient environment comprising an atmospheric relative humidity of at least 20%. The electric power generation device includes a thin film of protein nanowires or a nanowire composite, the thin film having an opposing first surface and second surface. The electric power generation device also includes a first electrode and a second electrode, electrically connected to the first surface and second surface, respectively, of the thin film. At least one of the first surface and the second surface of the thin film is at least partially exposed to the ambient environment. A moisture gradient and charge gradient is therefore created and maintained in the thin film to continuously generate power.

Claims (60)

1. An electric power generation system comprising:

an electric power generation device including

a thin film or biofilm, the thin film or biofilm comprising protein nanowires and having an opposing first surface and second surface,

a first electrode electrically connected to the first surface of the thin film or biofilm, and

a second electrode electrically connected to the second surface of the thin film or biofilm; and

an ambient environment comprising an atmospheric relative humidity of at least 20%;

wherein at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the thin film or biofilm is at least partially exposed to the ambient environment;

wherein a moisture gradient is created and maintained in the thin film or biofilm;

wherein the thin film or biofilm has a thickness in a range of 0.5 μm-20 μm; and

wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode has an area that is smaller than an area of the thin film or biofilm.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the protein nanowires are of at least one of the microorganisms Geobacter sulfurreducens, Geobacter metallireducens, Syntrophus aciditrophicus , and Methanospirillum hungatei.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least two electric power generation devices are stacked in a three-dimensional configuration, wherein at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the thin film or biofilm of each electric power generation devices are at least partially exposed to the atmospheric relative humidity in the ambient environment.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode comprise one or more of gold, platinum, aluminum and carbon.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thin film or biofilm has a thickness in a range of 4.0 μm-7.0 μm.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the atmospheric relative humidity is in a range of 30%-90%.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thin film or biofilm comprises a composite material of protein nanowires of two or more species of bacteria.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thin film or biofilm comprises nanopores, the nanopores having an average size in a range of 0.1 nm-10 nm.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode has an area that is different from an area of the second electrode.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the protein nanowires are at least one of:

genetically modified Aro-5 nanowires, OmcS-pili nanowires, OmcS-OmcS pili nanowires, and organic synthetic nanowires.

11. A method of continuously producing electric power using atmospheric relative humidity in an ambient environment, the method comprising:

providing an electric power generation device comprising:

a thin film or biofilm, the thin film or biofilm comprising protein nanowires and having an opposing first surface and second surface,

a first electrode electrically connected to the first surface of the thin film or biofilm, and

a second electrode electrically connected the second surface of the thin film or biofilm;

at least partially exposing at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the thin film or biofilm of the electric power generation device to the ambient environment, wherein the atmospheric relative humidity is at least 20%;

forming and maintaining a moisture gradient in the thin film or biofilm; and

continuously generating power in the electric power generation device;

wherein the thin film or biofilm has a thickness in a range of 0.5 μm-20 μm; and

wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode has an area that is smaller than an area of the thin film or biofilm.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the protein nanowires are harvested from one or more of the microorganisms Geobacter sulfurreducens, Geobacter metallireducens, Syntrophus aciditrophicus , and Methanospirillum hungatei.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

providing at least two of the electric power generation devices, and

stacking the at least two electric power generation devices in a three-dimensional configuration, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the first and second surfaces of the thin film or biofilm of each of the at least two electric power generation devices is at least partially exposed to the ambient environment.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode comprise one or more of gold, platinum, aluminum and carbon.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the thin film or biofilm has a thickness in a range of 4.0 μm-7.0 μm.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the atmospheric relative humidity is in a range of 30%-90%.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the thin film or biofilm is around 7 μm thick.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the protein nanowires are at least one of: genetically modified Aro-5 nanowires, OmcS-pili nanowires, OmcS-OmcS pili nanowires, and organic synthetic nanowires.

19. An electric power generation device, comprising:

a thin film or biofilm, the thin film or biofilm comprising protein nanowires and having an opposing first surface and second surface;

a first electrode electrically connected to the first surface of the thin film or biofilm; and

a second electrode electrically connected to the second surface of the thin film or biofilm, at least a portion of one of the first surface and the second surface of the thin film or biofilm configured to be exposed to an ambient environment, the thin film or biofilm configured to create and maintain a moisture gradient when exposed to an ambient environment comprising an atmospheric relative humidity of at least 20%;

wherein the thin film or biofilm has a thickness in a range of 0.5 μm-20 μm; and

wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode has an area that is smaller than an area of the thin film or biofilm.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thin film or biofilm is around 7 μm thick.

21. The device of claim 19 , wherein the thin film or biofilm is around 7 μm thick.

22. The device of claim 19 , wherein the protein nanowires are of at least one of the microorganisms Geobacter sulfurreducens, Geobacter metallireducens, Syntrophus aciditrophicus , and Methanospirillum hungatei.

23. The device of claim 19 , wherein the protein nanowires are at least one of: genetically modified Aro-5 nanowires, OmcS-pili nanowires, OmcS-OmcS pili nanowires, and organic synthetic nanowires.

24. The device of claim 19 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode comprise one or more of gold, platinum, aluminum, and carbon.

25. The device of claim 19 , wherein the thin film or biofilm has a thickness in a range of 4.0 μm-7.0 μm.

26. The device of claim 19 , wherein the atmospheric relative humidity is in a range of 30%-90%.

27. The device of claim 19 , wherein the thin film or biofilm comprises a composite material of protein nanowires of two or more species of bacteria.

28. The device of claim 19 , wherein the thin film or biofilm comprises nanopores, the nanopores having an average size in a range of 0.1 nm-10 nm.

29. An electric power generation device, comprising:

a thin film or biofilm, the thin film or biofilm comprising protein nanowires and having an opposing first surface and second surface;

a first electrode electrically connected to the first surface of the thin film or biofilm; and

a second electrode electrically connected to the second surface of the thin film or biofilm, at least a portion of one of the first surface and the second surface of the thin film or biofilm configured to be exposed to an ambient environment, the thin film or biofilm configured to create and maintain a moisture gradient when exposed to an ambient environment comprising an atmospheric relative humidity of at least 20%;

wherein the thin film or biofilm has a thickness in a range of 0.5 μm-20 μm; and

wherein the first electrode has an area that is different from an area of the second electrode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2021
From: YAO, JUN; LOVLEY, DEREK; LIU, XIAOMENG
To: UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
Reel/Frame 057277/0286 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62835023 · Apr 17, 2019
Provisional Application 62738320 · Sep 28, 2018
Related Publication 20210344286A1 · Nov 4, 2021
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