Nano- And Microfiber-Based Fully Fabric Triboelectric Nanogenerator For Wearable Devices.

Jong Hyuk Bae,Jae Hoon Ko,Byeong Jin Yeang,Hyun Ju Oh,Seung Ju Lim,Do Kun Kim,Seong Hun Kim,Woosung Lee,Jinkyu Song

doi:10.3390/polym12030658

Jong Hyuk Bae, Jae Hoon Ko + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12030658

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Abstract

The combination of the triboelectric effect and static electricity as a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been extensively studied. TENGs using nanofibers have advantages such as high surface roughness, porous structure, and ease of production by electrospinning; however, their shortcomings include high-cost, limited yield, and poor mechanical properties. Microfibers are produced on mass scale at low cost; they are solvent-free, their thickness can be easily controlled, and they have relatively better mechanical properties than nanofiber webs. Herein, a nano- and micro-fiber-based TENG (NMF-TENG) was fabricated using a nylon 6 nanofiber mat and melt blown nonwoven polypropylene (PP) as triboelectric layers. Hence, the advantages of nanofibers and microfibers are maintained and mutually complemented. The NMF-TENG was manufactured by electrospinning nylon 6 on the nonwoven PP, and then attaching Ni coated fabric electrodes on the top and bottom of the triboelectric layers. The morphology, porosity, pore size distribution, and fiber diameters of the triboelectric layers were investigated. The triboelectric output performances were confirmed by controlling the pressure area and basis weight of the nonwoven PP. This study proposes a low-cost fabrication process of NMF-TENGs with high air-permeability, durability, and productivity, which makes them applicable to a variety of wearable electronics.

Highlights

Fiber-based electronic devices are attracting extraordinary attention due to their flexibility, lightness, comfortableness, and applicability to a variety of industries and products, including physical or chemical sensors [1,2], biomedical monitoring [3,4], soft robotics [5,6], and wearable devices [7,8]
The nanofiber mats were electrospun on the nonwoven PP fabric, and an integrated NMF-triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) without a spacer was fabricated
The NMF-TENG was fabricated by electrospinning nylon 6 on the nonwoven PP with Ni coated fabric electrodes

Summary

Introduction

Fiber-based electronic devices are attracting extraordinary attention due to their flexibility, lightness, comfortableness, and applicability to a variety of industries and products, including physical or chemical sensors [1,2], biomedical monitoring [3,4], soft robotics [5,6], and wearable devices [7,8]. Melt blown nonwoven fabrics, which generally consist of microfibers, can be produced with low cost on a mass scale in large areas, are solvent-free, their thickness is controlled, and have relatively better mechanical properties than nanofiber webs [49,50]. In order to maintain and mutually complement the advantages of nanofibers and microfibers and avoid their shortcomings, a nano- and micro-fiber-based TENG (NMF-TENG) was fabricated using a polyamide (PA), especially nylon 6, nanofiber mat and melt blown nonwoven polypropylene (PP) as triboelectric layers. This study proposes a low-cost fabrication process of NMF-TENGs with high triboelectric output performance, air-permeability, durability, and productivity. Their application to a variety of wearable electronics is expected

Materials

Fabrication of Nonwoven Triboelectric Layers

Fabrication of the NMF-TENGs

Characterization

Results and Discussion

Conclusions