Surface-enhanced fully nanofiber-based self-cleanable ultraviolet resistive triboelectric energy harvester for wearable smart garments

Abstract

Wearable triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) with high electrical performance have recently prompted great expectations. However, charge diffusion and recombination affect the electric field strength, resulting in a weak electrostatic potential in the displacement region. Current research on film-type dielectric interlayers indicates that charge trapping can prevent charge recombination, although surface charge air breakdown has not been addressed, and becomes a crucial demand in wearable energy applications. In the present study, the surface charge density of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofibers is greatly improved by co-electrospraying PDMS-PVDF (PDPV) charge-trapping microbeads; this new approach prolongs the lifetime of surface charges. In particular, the PDPV beads prevent charge recombination, and the interlocking mechanism enhances the tensile property of the PVDF nanofibers. These result in a two-fold increase in the open-circuit voltage and peak power density to 305 V and 124.3 mW m−2, respectively. The device is successfully employed in portable electronic gadgets. Ag-nanoparticle-grafted styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) fiber is used as an electrode because it has favorable stretchability with low resistance and is antibacterial. The addition of TiO2/multiwalled carbon nanotube to PVDF nanofiber membrane shows excellent electricfield-induced photocatalyst and ultraviolet protection. Our surface-enhanced fully fiber-based TENG is a promising energy harvester for flexible smart garments applications.