Enhancing the Performance of Triboelectric Nanogenerator Via Facile PDMS Surface Modification

Abstract

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have received extensive attention in various research fields as new energy harvesting and conversion devices. However, physical modification of the surface of the friction material to increase the effective contact area is hindered by issues such as the small preparation area, complicated process, and high price. Herein, a facile method is proposed for replicating the surface morphology of a salt spray template for constructing a micro–nano structure on the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which is then fabricated into a vertical contact separation TENG and utilized for the cathodic protection of metals. The TENG exhibits good output performance, with a short‐circuit current of 26 μA, output voltage of 600 V, and surface charge density of 125 μC m−2. The TENG exhibits good power supply capability, with good application prospects for powering commercial electronic equipment. The TENG is successfully applied for cathodic protection. Based on electrochemical measurement, compared with bare 304 stainless steel (304SS), the open‐circuit potential drop of 304SS coupled with the TENG is approximately 190 mV, indicating a significant corrosion protection effect. It is proved in the results that the TENG has great application potential in self‐powered corrosion protection.