Increased Interfacial Area between Dielectric Layer and Electrode of Triboelectric Nanogenerator toward Robustness and Boosted Energy Output.

Donghyeon Yoo,Dongwhi Choi,Insang Song,Jeong-Won Lee,Woonbong Hwang,Eun Yeong Go,Dong Sung Kim,Jae-Yoon Sim

doi:10.3390/nano9010071

Abstract

Given the operation conditions wherein mechanical wear is inevitable, modifying bulk properties of the dielectric layer of a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been highlighted to boost its energy output. However, several concerns still remain in regards to the modification due to high-cost materials and cumbersome processes being required. Herein, we report TENG with a microstructured Al electrode (TENG_ME) as a new approach to modifying bulk properties of the dielectric layer. The microstructured Al electrode is utilized as a component of TENG to increase the interfacial area between the dielectric layer and electrode. Compared to the TENG with a flat Al electrode (TENG_F), the capacitance of TENG_ME is about 1.15 times higher than that of TENG_F, and the corresponding energy outputs of a TENG_ME are 117 μA and 71 V, each of which is over 1.2 times higher than that of the TENG_F. The robustness of TENG_ME is also confirmed in the measurement of energy outputs changing after sandpaper abrasion tests, repetitive contact, and separation (more than 105 cycles). The results imply that the robustness and long-lasting performance of the TENG_ME could be enough to apply in reliable auxiliary power sources for electronic devices.

Highlights

With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT)—beyond miniaturized and wearable electronic devices—the ubiquitous and persistent supply of energy needing to be anywhere has been a critical issue
All of the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) consist of a dielectric layer which is attached to an Al electrode
polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is utilized as a material for a dielectric layer due to its outstanding ability to attract electrons

Summary

Introduction

With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT)—beyond miniaturized and wearable electronic devices—the ubiquitous and persistent supply of energy needing to be anywhere has been a critical issue. The issue becomes even more prominent in isolated circumstances such as mountain and industrial regions due to the limited lifetime of batteries [1,2]. The large capacity battery has a compromise for a long lifetime in its heavy weight. To overcome such limitations, energy harvesting technologies have been proposed as auxiliary sources or substitutions of the conventional energy supply system. The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which is operated by the combination of contact electrification and electrical induction, is attracting much attention due to its high accessibility and fast-growing efficiency [3,4,5,6,7]. The basic structure of the TENG is Nanomaterials 2019, 9, 71; doi:10.3390/nano9010071 www.mdpi.com/journal/nanomaterials

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Conclusion