Smart Cement to Generate Power from the Pavement and Store the Energy
Concrete has long been the workhorse of modern civilisation. From motorways to megacities, it’s laid the very foundations of our built world. But a revolutionary leap forward now promises to redefine its role entirely. Imagine if the very structure of a building or road could generate its own electricity? That future may be closer than you think.
A ground-breaking discovery by Professor Zhou Yang and his research team at Southeast University in China has introduced a cement-hydrogel composite that does precisely that. This smart, bio-inspired material is capable not only of producing electricity from heat but also of storing it, potentially transforming concrete from a passive element into a smart energy hub.
Cracking the thermoelectric challenge
Traditional cement has always had latent thermoelectric potential due to the ionic thermoelectric effect. However, the material’s dense structure restricts ion movement, making the effect too weak for practical applications. The research team pinpointed this very limitation: “The disparity in diffusion rate between cations and anions within cement pore solution due to variations in interactions with pore walls endows cement with inherent ionic thermoelectric properties”.
Unfortunately, these properties have remained largely untapped. As the team noted: “The isolation of pores by the dense cement matrix hinders the rapid transportation of ions with superior diffusion rates, impeding the enhancement of mobility difference between ions and limiting the enhancement of Seebeck coefficient”.
So how did they solve this conundrum? The answer lies in nature.
Lessons from plant stems
Inspired by the internal layering found in plant stems, the researchers created a multilayer structure combining ordinary cement with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel. These alternating layers form pathways and interfaces that manage ion flow far more efficiently than traditional cement alone.
The hydrogel acts as a superhighway for hydroxide ions (OH⁻), dramatically improving their mobility. Meanwhile, the cement-hydrogel interface selectively immobilises calcium ions (Ca²⁺), encouraging a mobility imbalance that boosts the thermoelectric effect. This cleverly engineered design achieves a Seebeck coefficient of −40.5 mV/K—ten times greater than previous cement-based materials. Its figure of merit (ZT) hits 6.6×10⁻², sixfold the previous benchmark.
According to the team: “The biomimetic structure and interfacial selective immobilization mechanism may pave the way for the design and fabrication of high-performance ionic thermoelectric materials”.
Building power into the infrastructure
Here’s where it gets even more exciting. Not only can this material convert heat into electricity, but it can also store the generated energy. The composite’s multilayered design offers built-in energy storage capabilities alongside mechanical robustness.
This dual function opens up a wealth of possibilities:
- Roads and pavements that power street lighting or signage
- Bridges with self-monitoring sensors powered internally
- Smart buildings with embedded systems running on their own structural energy
It also spells a future where infrastructure can run low-power wireless systems or environmental sensors without external batteries or grid connection—an innovation with serious sustainability implications.
Bioengineering meets construction
The breakthrough comes at a time when the construction industry is under increasing pressure to decarbonise. Cement production alone contributes to roughly 8% of global CO₂ emissions. At this year’s SynBioBeta: The Global Synthetic Biology Conference, the session “Conquering Carbon Emissions From the Concrete Industry” will highlight how bioengineered materials like this cement-hydrogel composite can help turn the tide.
Such innovations are gaining traction as governments and industry players look beyond incremental efficiency gains and towards entirely new paradigms for construction materials. With global smart city investments expected to reach over $1 trillion by 2028, materials that integrate energy functions directly into infrastructure are likely to play a leading role.
Challenges and commercial outlook
While the lab results are impressive, there are still hurdles to clear before we see energy-generating concrete in the real world. Manufacturing scalability, cost of materials, durability in diverse climates, and integration with existing construction practices all need to be addressed.
Nonetheless, interest in smart materials is growing fast. Researchers in Europe and North America are also exploring thermoelectric cements, albeit at lower performance thresholds. What sets this Chinese development apart is the bio-inspired layering and the combination of power generation with storage, which could dramatically simplify deployment.
And given the global momentum around carbon reduction and smart infrastructure, market conditions are ripe for early adoption—particularly in high-tech public transport networks, energy-conscious smart homes, and infrastructure-heavy megaprojects.
Looking ahead
The cement-hydrogel composite might just be the tip of the iceberg. As research continues, we could soon see new classes of multifunctional materials that blur the lines between passive and active infrastructure.
As Professor Zhou’s team suggests, this new generation of materials won’t just support structures; they’ll think, sense, and power themselves too. That’s no small shift—it could reshape how we design cities, roads, and even entire communities.
Indeed, the fusion of energy and infrastructure has begun, and it’s no longer confined to blue-sky ideas. It’s mixing with cement, right here on Earth.
A Smart Step Towards Greener Cities
If the world is to meet its climate targets while building the infrastructure required for a growing population, innovation will be the name of the game. And sometimes, the smartest ideas lie hidden in the most ordinary materials.
Concrete isn’t going away anytime soon—but thanks to breakthroughs like this one, it may well be getting a powerful upgrade.
