Synergistic Effects of BaTiO3/Multiwall Carbon Nanotube as Fillers on the Electrical Performance of Triboelectric Nanogenerator Based on Polydimethylsiloxane Composite Films

Abstract

Herein, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite films containing BaTiO3 particles with an average size of 70 and 500 nm are prepared and characterized, respectively. Then, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) based on the composite films are designed at different BaTiO3 sizes and mass ratios. In addition, multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are also used for uniform dispersion of BaTiO3 particles in composite films for the TENG device. With the synergistic effects of BaTiO3/MWCNT fillers, discrete conductive micronetworks surrounded by BaTiO3 particles form, and then, the effective filler–matrix interface effect in the three‐phase composite is enhanced, leading to superior triboelectric output performance, supported by much higher dielectric permittivity and COMSOL simulation. Moreover, the triboelectric output performance of TENG changes with different‐sized BaTiO3 particles. As to BT‐70‐MWCNT/PDMS composites, with the same mass ratio of BT, the peak output current is always higher than that of BT‐500‐MWCNT/PDMS. Furthermore, the optimum BT mass ratio of BT‐70‐MWCNT/PDMS composites is also higher than that of BT‐500. With BaTiO3 of size 70 nm, the maximum surface charge density is about 160 μC m−2 under an optimized mass ratio, whereas it is about 110 μC m−2 for BaTiO3 of size 500 nm.