(Digital Presentation) Enhanced Streaming Vibration Potential By Silane-Modificated Mxene/PVA Hydrogel for High-Performance Flexible Triboelectric Nanogenerator

Abstract

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) play a vital role in self-powered electronics, based on their superior energy harvesting ability and simple construction. In this work, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel is fabricated, exhibiting a three-dimensional (3D) network structure that allows PVA chains to be covered by a large amount of water. Combining MXene nanosheets with the hydrogel TENG, the composite improves the ion transport of the hydrogel and provides the streaming vibration potential (SVP) mechanism. This composite effectively enhances the output performance of hydrogel TENG. Furthermore, this work adopts different functional groups of silane (APTES, CPTMS, FOTS) to modify the surface work function of MXene nanosheets. The surface modification increases the charge density at the interface between MXene and water inside the hydrogel, improving the electrical output performance and mechanical sensitivity of MXene hydrogel TENG (MH-TENG). The result demonstrates that the electrical output performance of MH-TENGs modified by 1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (FOTS) is approximately two times larger (output-voltage~85 V/output-current~240 nA) than pristine hydrogel TENG (output-voltage~40 V/output-current~100 nA). The MH-TENG behaves unlimited potential in the use of flexible electronics, such as movement monitoring electronics, strength sensors on the paddle, and wearable energy harvesting devices in the future.