Triboelectric energy harvester based on wearable textile platforms employing various surface morphologies

Abstract

Wearable energy harvesting devices are of increasing importance for the realization of flexible smart electronics, as the basic building blocks of power sources are able to convert the mechanical energy induced from body movement to electricity. Here, we report the electrical responses of a textile substrate-based triboelectric nanogenerator (T-TENG), including nanostructured surface configurations provided by Al nanoparticles and PDMS, in which no intricate fabrication process was performed or required. Along with analysis of the working principle and finite element simulation, the textile-based output power density of 33.6mW/cm2 was obtained from the periodic mechanical stress of an adjustable bending machine, and this was used to activate commercially available light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. Additionally, we demonstrated the generation of sufficient energy from clothes attached to a commercial arm sleeve to power the LED devices from the activity of a human arm. Our practical cloth approach may contribute to a general framework for developing functional and self-powered wearable electronic devices.