Moisture-induced iontronics for self-powered electronics

Moisture-induced iontronic devices represent an emerging technological paradigm that utilizes the interaction between water molecules and functional nanomaterials to generate electricity, enable sensing, and even manipulate information. This emerging technology primarily relies on moisture absorption to trigger ion dissociation and establish directional transport through asymmetric structures or chemical gradients. This perspective summarizes advances in moisture-enabled energy conversion mechanisms, including moisture-induced concentration gradients, streaming potential, and osmotic power generation. Beyond energy harvesting, we extend our scope to explore the burgeoning applications of moisture-induced iontronics in self-powered sensing, proton gating, information writing/reading, and their potential in neuro-inspired biomimetic systems. By detailing fundamental mechanisms, material/structural designs, and diverse applications, this perspective outlines the trajectory of this field from electricity generation to advanced ionic control, while also addressing key challenges and future directions.