Ag Nanoparticle-Incorporated Natural Rubber for Mechanical Energy Harvesting Application.

Pawanrat Suphasorn,Vittaya Amornkitbamrung,Chalathorn Chanthad,Prasit Thongbai,Viyada Harnchana,Chomsri Siriwong,Intuorn Appamato

doi:10.3390/molecules26092720

Abstract

The energy conversion performance of the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a function of triboelectric charges which depend on the intrinsic properties of materials to hold charges or the dielectric properties of triboelectric materials. In this work, Ag nanoparticles were synthesized and used to incorporate into natural rubber (NR) in order to enhance the dielectric constant for enhancing the electrical output of TENG. It was found that the size of Ag nanoparticles was reduced with the increasing CTAB concentration. Furthermore, the CTAB surfactant helped the dispersion of metallic Ag nanoparticles in the NR-insulating matrix, which promoted interfacial polarization that affected the dielectric properties of the NR composite. Ag nanoparticle-incorporated NR films exhibited an improved dielectric constant of up to almost 40% and an enhanced TENG performance that generated the highest power density of 262.4 mW/m2.

Highlights

Mechanical energy is among the most abundant forms of energy in our living environment
The aqueous solutions of Ag nanoparticle (AgNP) prepared at different conditions, including AgNPs without cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), AgNPs (1.0 mM CTAB) and AgNPs
transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of the AgNPs (1.0 mM CTAB) and AgNPs (1.5 mM CTAB) are presented in Figure 2a,b, respectively, and their particle size distribution is displayed in Figure 2c,d, respectively

Summary

Introduction

Mechanical energy is among the most abundant forms of energy in our living environment. Mechanical energy exists in many forms, including all kinds of movement and vibration. Scavenging these ubiquitous energy forms is a crucial challenge for the development of green and sustainable renewable energy sources. A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been developed to harvest mechanical energy into electricity with the combination effect of contact electrification and electrostatic induction [1,2]. TENG is gaining attention due to its high energy conversion efficiency with the highest reported power density of 500 W/m2 [3], simple fabrication with a diverse material choice, many operation modes that can harvest mechanical energy in various forms and low production cost [2,4].

Methods

Results

Conclusion