A triboelectric nanogenerator using silica-based powder for appropriate technology

Abstract

To harvest ambient mechanical energy, a triboelectric nanogenerator is actively researched as a sustainable energy source. One of the advantages of the triboelectric nanogenerator is the almost exclusive use of widely available materials that can be manufactured at a low cost. For example, silica, composed of silicon and oxygen, not only can play a role as a triboelectric material but is abundant everywhere in the earth’s crust. Here, we report a triboelectric nanogenerator using three types of silica powder as a freestanding dielectric layer: sand, silicon, and silicon dioxide. Among them, the triboelectric nanogenerator with silicon dioxide powder and polytetrafluoroethylene film produces the highest electrical output power. The instantaneous peak power density is 0.3 mW/m2, achieved by shaking the triboelectric nanogenerator by hand. Five serially connected commercial light emitting diodes are simultaneously turned on by persons with a hand. The proposed triboelectric nanogenerator can be utilized as a useful electric power generator in Third World due to its low-cost and widely available component materials.