Abstract

Stable and flexible super-hydrophilic nanotubular-based titanium oxide electrode has been utilized as the active electrode of self-powered humidity sensor. TiO2 nanotubular electrodes fabricated through anodization method and utilized in combination with Kapton electrode as the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). Vertical contact-separation mode TENG performance has been examined in various range of frequencies and the maximum output voltage and current more than 300 V and 40 μA respectively with maximum power of 1.25 ± 0.67 mW has been achieved at 4 Hz. The fabricated TENG has been employed as the active self-powered humidity sensor. Super-hydrophilic feature of TiO2 nanotubes resulted in full absorption of water molecules, and noticeable decrease in charge transfer across two triboelectric materials upon increasing humidity. The TiO2-based TENG sensor was exposed to various relative humidity (RH) and the results showed that by increasing the humidity the output voltage and output current decreased from 162.24 ± 35.99 V and 20.4 ± 4.93 μA at RH = 20% to 37.92 ± 1.54 V at RH = 79% and 40.87 88 6.88 ± 1.7 μA at RH = 84%, respectively, Which shows the responsivity more than 300%. This method of measuring humidity has a simple and cost-effective fabrication that has various applications in many fields such as industry and medicine.

Highlights

  • Stable and flexible super-hydrophilic nanotubular-based titanium oxide electrode has been utilized as the active electrode of self-powered humidity sensor. ­TiO2 nanotubular electrodes fabricated through anodization method and utilized in combination with Kapton electrode as the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)

  • Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) discovered in 2012 that works by transferring the surface charge between two dissimilar materials whereas they are in physical contact with each other

  • Figure1. (a) 10 cm × 10 cm flexible ­TiO2 nanotube arrays of Ti foil fabricated through anodization method, (b) the flexibility of ­TiO2 layer, (c) cross section, (d) top view scanning electron microscopy image of anodized foil, (e) schematic of TENG consisted of T­ iO2 nanotube arrays on Ti and Kapton on Aluminium foil and contact angle measurement of 2 mL water drop on (f) Ti foil and (g) anodized Ti foil

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Summary

Introduction

Stable and flexible super-hydrophilic nanotubular-based titanium oxide electrode has been utilized as the active electrode of self-powered humidity sensor. ­TiO2 nanotubular electrodes fabricated through anodization method and utilized in combination with Kapton electrode as the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). Water vapor would considerably influence on the TENG output and we can see changes of ambient humidity through output current and voltage.

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