One-click fabrication of triboelectric nanogenerators through multiple fused filaments fabrication

Abstract

The efficiency and cost of manufacturing large-scale triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) plays an important role in determining the application of TENG in various fields. However, the commonly employed direct ink writing (DIW) technique encounters challenges in the manufacturing process, such as difficulties in achieving automatic material switching, intricate procedures, and high costs. In this paper, we have developed a conductive polymer filament comprising thermoplastic polyurethane/polylactic acid/carbon nanotubes/graphene (TPCG) and proposed a one-click preparation approach for building TENG utilizing Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technology. This approach can automatically switch multiple printing materials and thus efficiently prepare TENG without any human intervention. The influence of printing parameters on the output performance of TENG was investigated. As a demonstration, we utilized the one-click method to construct a self-powered cathodic protection system, effectively safeguarding Q235 carbon steel from corrosion. This work presents an advanced TENG fabrication solution based on the developed TPCG conductive polymer filament, enhancing production efficiency and promoting the development of standardized and scalable manufacturing processes.