Wearable triboelectric nanogenerator with micro-topping structures via material jet printing method

Abstract

With the development of human-machine interactions, human healthcare monitoring and Internet of Things, it is of vital importance to explore revolutionary fabrication methods to provide sustainable and flexible energy harvesters for massive personnel information. In this work, we developed the micro-topping structures enhanced triboelectric nanogenerator (MT-TENG) via unique jet printing method with the advantages of high precision, high efficiency and excellent uniformity. Regular micro-topping structure array could be tuned conveniently and rapidly through adjusting the ink properties, printing parameters and substrate characteristics in jet printing process. The results show that with micro-topping structures, TENG has high specific surface for contact electrification. MT-TENG can be applied in the real-time monitoring and self-powered sensing of body physiological signal and human joint movement. This work provides a previously unexplored strategy for shortening individual design cycle and promoting the practicality of TENG in mass manufacturing, and also possess a potential application of wearable electronics and healthcare monitoring system.