清华长庚李舟团队发表界面能量转换重要研究进展

在实际能源利用过程中，大量分散存在的低品位热能长期难以被有效回收，而伴随热交换过程产生的水蒸汽等资源也常常未得到充分利用。如何在复杂界面条件下实现热能与水资源的协同转化，是当前能源收集研究中的重要问题。

近日，清华大学北京清华长庚医院健康科技研发中心主任李舟团队联合中国科学院大学、北京纳米能源与系统研究所，从界面能量转换的基础机制出发，提出了一种基于亚稳态莱顿弗罗斯特效应的自推进发电策略，为分布式低品位热能与水蒸汽的协同利用提供了新的研究思路，围绕这一方向，研究团队聚焦“固-液-气”三相界面的动态调控，探索液滴在界面上的运动规律与能量输出行为，进一步发展出一种兼具自主运动和发电能力的新型装置。

图1 基于亚稳态莱顿弗罗斯特效应的自推进发电机

这项工作的关键，在于对传统莱顿弗罗斯特现象所带来的界面阻碍进行了重新利用与调控。研究团队通过界面工程方法，构建了动态稳定的“固-液-气”三相接触状态，将动态非对称双电层发电与水系原电池反应耦合起来，使微小液滴在运动过程中持续产生电信号。实验结果表明，仅需30微升液滴，即可连续产生超过100个脉冲直流信号，展现出良好的界面能量转换潜力。在此基础上，团队进一步设计了仿生集雾装置，并与自推进发电系统集成，构建出“水蒸汽收集—液滴发电—循环利用”的闭环路径。该研究不仅为分布式热能回收提供了新的技术方案，也展示了多种微尺度能量转换机制协同工作的可能性，为相关器件的小型化、集成化设计提供了重要支撑。

图2 自推进液滴的运动图像

值得关注的是，该研究虽然立足于能源收集问题，但其背后涉及的界面传质、相变调控与微尺度发电机制，与医工交叉领域长期关注的医疗电子器件供能问题具有方法上的共通性。尤其是在可穿戴监测和长期健康管理设备不断发展的背景下，如何为小型器件提供更轻量、更灵活的供能方案，正成为健康科技研发中的重要议题。该研究从基础机制层面为相关方向提供了全新的思路，也体现了在医工融合与前沿交叉创新中的持续探索。

相关研究成果以Self-Propelled Generator for Low-Grade Heat Harvesting via Metastable Leidenfrost Effect （《利用亚稳莱顿弗罗斯特效应收集低品位热能的自推进发电机》）为题，在线发表在国际能源领域顶级期刊Joule（《焦耳》） (Cell子刊, IF 35.4) ，北京清华长庚医院为论文第一通讯作者单位，李舟、健康科技研发中心副研究员邹洋为论文通讯作者，中科院北京纳米能源与系统研究所博士研究生程鹏为论文第一作者。该工作得到了国家自然科学基金、国家重点研发计划、北京市自然科学基金等资助与支持。

英文版：

Tsinghua Changgung Hospital Team l ed by Zhou Li advances interfacial energy conversion research

Alternate: Tsinghua team advances interfacial energy conversion research

Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, March 24 (Correspondent) –

In practical energy utilization, a large amount of dispersed low-grade heat energy has long been difficult to recover effectively, while resources such as water vapor generated during heat exchange are often not fully utilized. How to achieve the synergistic conversion of heat energy and water resources under complex interface conditions is an important issue in current energy harvesting research.

Recently, a team led by Zhou Li, director of the Vita Tech Innovation Center at Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, Tsinghua University, in collaboration with the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, proposed a self-propelled power generation strategy based on the metastable Leidenfrost effect, starting from the fundamental mechanism of interfacial energy conversion. This provides a new research approach for the synergistic utilization of distributed low-grade thermal energy and water vapor. Accordingly, the research team focused on the dynamic control of the solid-liquid-gas triple-phase interface, exploring the motion characteristics and energy output behavior of droplets on the interface, and further developed a novel device that combines autonomous motion and power generation capabilities.

Figure 1. The self-propelled generator based on the metastable Leidenfrost effect

The key to this work lies in the reuse and manipulation of the interfacial barriers posed by the traditional Leidenfrost phenomenon. The research team constructed a dynamically stable solid-liquid-gas triple-phase contact state using interface engineering methods, coupling dynamic asymmetric electric double layer power generation with an aqueous primary battery reaction, enabling micro-droplets to continuously generate electrical signals during their movement. Experimental results show that a single 30‑microliter droplet can continuously generate more than 100 pulsed DC signals, demonstrating strong potential for interfacial energy conversion. Building on this, the team further designed a biomimetic fog-collecting device and integrated it with a self-propelled power generation system, constructing a closed-loop cycle of "water vapor collection—droplet power generation—recycling." This research not only provides a new technical solution for distributed thermal energy recovery but also demonstrates the possibility of multiple microscale energy conversion mechanisms working synergistically, providing important support for the miniaturization and integration design of related devices.

Figure 2. Motion image of a self-propelled droplet

It is noteworthy that while this research focuses on energy harvesting, the underlying interfacial mass transfer, phase transition regulation, and microscale power generation mechanisms share methodological commonalities with the long-standing focus in the medical-engineering interdisciplinary field of powering medical electronic devices. Especially against the backdrop of the continuous development of wearable monitoring and long-term health management devices, how to provide lighter and more flexible power supply solutions for small devices is becoming an important issue in health technology research and development. This research provides a novel approach to related directions from the perspective of fundamental mechanisms and reflects continuous exploration in the integration of medicine and engineering and cutting-edge interdisciplinary innovation.

The research findings, titled "Self-Propelled Generator for Low-Grade Heat Harvesting via Metastable Leidenfrost Effect" have been published online in Joule (Cell Press, IF 35.4), a top international journal in the field of energy. Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital is the first corresponding author's institution. Zhou Li and Yang Zou (associate researcher at the Vita Tech Innovation Center) are the corresponding authors, Peng Cheng (doctoral student at the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences) is the first author. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Key Research and Development Program of China, and the Beijing Natural Science Foundation.

Link to paper: https://www.cell.com/joule/abstract/S2542-4351(26)00004-8