Biohybrid Wind Energy Generators Based on Living Plants
243
assembled of an artificial leaf consisting of a PET/ITO/silicone rubber that vibrates
in the wind together with a plant leaf and the wind induced voltage signals reflect the
mechanical interplay of the artificial and the natural leaf. Increasing the wind speed leads
to higher energy, amplitude and frequency of both, voltage signal and vibrational profiles.
This confirms that the energy generated by the plant correlates with the wind-induced
leaf motions indicating a perspective for tailoring the power output by tailoring the
mechanical behavior of the system. A single biohybrid plant wind generator is capable of
providing sufficient energy to directly power 50 LEDs and a digital thermometer sensing
circuit and display. The results demonstrate that living plant-based wind generators
are potential autonomous power sources, e.g., for sensor networks and environmental
monitoring.
Acknowledgments. This work was funded by GrowBot, the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 824074. TS acknowledges additional funding by the German Research Foundation (DFG) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy
- EXC-2193/ 1–390951807.
References
1. Giraldo, J.P., Wu, H., Newkirk, G.M., Kruss, S.: Nanobiotechnology approaches for engineering smart plant sensors. Nat. Nanotechnol. 14, 541–553 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/
s41565-019-0470-6
2. Wong, M.H., et al.: Nitroaromatic detection and infrared communication from wild-type
plants using plant nanobionics. Nat. Mater. 16, 264–272 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nma
t4771
3. Kwak, S.-Y., et al.: A nanobionic light-emitting plant. Nano Lett. 17, 7951–7961 (2017).
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b04369
4. Di Giacomo, R., Daraio, C., Maresca, B.: Plant nanobionic materials with a giant temperature
response mediated by pectin-Ca 2+ . Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 112, 4541–4545 (2015). https://
doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1421020112
5. Kim, J.J., Allison, L.K., Andrew, T.L.: Vapor-printed polymer electrodes for long-term, ondemand health monitoring. Sci. Adv. 5, eaaw0463 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaw
0463
6. Stavrinidou, E., et al.: Electronic plants. Sci. Adv. 1, e1501136 (2015). https://doi.org/10.
1126/sciadv.1501136
7. Stavrinidou, E., et al.: In vivo polymerization and manufacturing of wires and supercapacitors
in plants. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 114, 2807–2812 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.161645
6114
8. Thomas, T., Lew, S., Koman, V.B., Gordiichuk, P., Park, M., Strano, M.S.: The emergence
of plant nanobionics and living plants as technology. Adv. Mater. Technol. 1900657, 1–12
(2019). https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.201900657
9. Nitisoravut, R., Regmi, R.: Plant microbial fuel cells: a promising biosystems engineering.
Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 76, 81–89 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.03.064
10. Strik, D.P., Timmers, R.A., Helder, M., Steinbusch, K.J., Hamelers, H.V., Buisman, C.J.:
Microbial solar cells: applying photosynthetic and electrochemically active organisms. Trends
Biotechnol. 29, 41–49 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2010.10.001
243
assembled of an artificial leaf consisting of a PET/ITO/silicone rubber that vibrates
in the wind together with a plant leaf and the wind induced voltage signals reflect the
mechanical interplay of the artificial and the natural leaf. Increasing the wind speed leads
to higher energy, amplitude and frequency of both, voltage signal and vibrational profiles.
This confirms that the energy generated by the plant correlates with the wind-induced
leaf motions indicating a perspective for tailoring the power output by tailoring the
mechanical behavior of the system. A single biohybrid plant wind generator is capable of
providing sufficient energy to directly power 50 LEDs and a digital thermometer sensing
circuit and display. The results demonstrate that living plant-based wind generators
are potential autonomous power sources, e.g., for sensor networks and environmental
monitoring.
Acknowledgments. This work was funded by GrowBot, the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 824074. TS acknowledges additional funding by the German Research Foundation (DFG) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy
- EXC-2193/ 1–390951807.
References
1. Giraldo, J.P., Wu, H., Newkirk, G.M., Kruss, S.: Nanobiotechnology approaches for engineering smart plant sensors. Nat. Nanotechnol. 14, 541–553 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/
s41565-019-0470-6
2. Wong, M.H., et al.: Nitroaromatic detection and infrared communication from wild-type
plants using plant nanobionics. Nat. Mater. 16, 264–272 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nma
t4771
3. Kwak, S.-Y., et al.: A nanobionic light-emitting plant. Nano Lett. 17, 7951–7961 (2017).
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b04369
4. Di Giacomo, R., Daraio, C., Maresca, B.: Plant nanobionic materials with a giant temperature
response mediated by pectin-Ca 2+ . Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 112, 4541–4545 (2015). https://
doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1421020112
5. Kim, J.J., Allison, L.K., Andrew, T.L.: Vapor-printed polymer electrodes for long-term, ondemand health monitoring. Sci. Adv. 5, eaaw0463 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaw
0463
6. Stavrinidou, E., et al.: Electronic plants. Sci. Adv. 1, e1501136 (2015). https://doi.org/10.
1126/sciadv.1501136
7. Stavrinidou, E., et al.: In vivo polymerization and manufacturing of wires and supercapacitors
in plants. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 114, 2807–2812 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.161645
6114
8. Thomas, T., Lew, S., Koman, V.B., Gordiichuk, P., Park, M., Strano, M.S.: The emergence
of plant nanobionics and living plants as technology. Adv. Mater. Technol. 1900657, 1–12
(2019). https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.201900657
9. Nitisoravut, R., Regmi, R.: Plant microbial fuel cells: a promising biosystems engineering.
Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 76, 81–89 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.03.064
10. Strik, D.P., Timmers, R.A., Helder, M., Steinbusch, K.J., Hamelers, H.V., Buisman, C.J.:
Microbial solar cells: applying photosynthetic and electrochemically active organisms. Trends
Biotechnol. 29, 41–49 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2010.10.001