High-performance Triboelectric Nanogenerators Research Articles

Unveiling the Impact of Tailoring Ionic Conductor Characteristics on the Performance of Wearable Triboelectric Nanogenerators.

This work reveals the correlation between the performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) and the characteristics of deformable solid-state ionic conductors (referred to as ionogels). For this purpose, we modify ionogel characteristics by incorporating additional plasticizers (propylene carbonate) and solid salts (lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) into the ionogels. We conclude that the high capacitance of the ionogel is crucial for achieving a high-performance TENG platform. The optimized ionogel-based TENG (i-TENG) exhibits a power density of ∼372.4 mW·m-2 (based on 95 V and 36 mA·m-2 outputs) with outstanding long-term stability over 2 weeks. Additionally, successful demonstrations of wearable nanogenerators are performed by leveraging the high stretchability (up to ∼1000%) and optical transparency (∼90%) of the ionogels. Overall, the results provide insight into the design of deformable ionic conductors for high-performance, reliable, and wearable TENGs.

Polarity control of siloxane composite films for triboelectric nanogenerator based self-powered body temperature monitoring

Body temperature monitoring systems serve as key indicators for identifying potential patients with various illnesses such as influenza and COVID-19. Conventionally, these monitoring devices rely on batteries, limiting their long-term and widespread application. Self-powered thermometers are considered a sustainable solution that enable continuous monitoring. Among various self-charging power sources, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are a novel development, but suffer several critical drawbacks for medical applications. In this study, we present a high-performance TENG for self-powered body temperature monitoring systems by controlling the polarity of glass-fabric reinforced vinyl-thiol functionalized hybrid materials (GFR-VTHs) by varying the phenyl group contents. The effect of polarity modification on the performance of the developed TENG was confirmed by the high electrical output and stable operation under 10,000 cycles of repetitive pressing tests. Finally, self-powered body temperature monitoring systems were constructed by measuring human body temperature with a clinical thermometer powered by the GFR-VTH-based TENG, demonstrating device feasibility as a power source for self-powered healthcare systems.

Engineering self-healable and biodegradable ionic polyurethane with highly tribopositive behavior

According to the development of human-oriented technology, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) present great potential as a power source for self-powered sensors and wearable devices. Advanced next-generation TENGs require not only durability and stable production of electrical energy but also the ability to autonomously self-heal after mechanical damage and biodegradability. Here we report a self-healable, biodegradable, and high performance TENG using engineered ionic polyurethane (IPU). We utilized polycaprolactone-based PU to provide biodegradable properties and introduced imidazolium ionic liquids diol (IL) to facilitate self-healing through ion-dipole interaction. Imidazolium ionic liquid diol also improves triboelectric properties and improves capacitance by forming an electric double layer (EDL), contributing to improved output. These results suggest a high-performance TENG design methodology that can be applied to next-generation soft electronic devices.

A high performance triboelectric nanogenerator using assembled sugar naphthalimides for self-powered electronics and sensors

A new class of N-glycosyl naphthalimide ricinoleate (NGNR) amphiphiles were generated using environmentally friendly reaction conditions in good yields. To investigate the potential applications of NGNR amphiphiles within the realm of supramolecular materials, molecular self-assembly experiments were conducted extensively across a diverse range of solvents and oils and observed the gel formation. Molecular-level interactions and assembly patterns were investigated by employing FTIR, SAXRD, UV–vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy, and a plausible assembly mechanism was proposed. The morphology of the supramolecular architecture was identified by scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, rheological studies provided insight into these soft materials' strength and processability. Further, in the process of fabricating a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) device, silicone rubber serves as an electron acceptor and assembled NGNR serves as an electron donor. The developed TENG demonstrated a significant improvement in performance over TENG made with amorphous NGNR, with output voltage, current, and power density of 410 V, 100 µA, and 5.1 W/m2, respectively, highlighting the importance of the assembly process. Furthermore, TENG is used to continuously power up small electronic device (calculator), which is useful in building self-powered electronic devices. Lastly, due to its high sensitivity and stability, the TENG was used to detect the humidity of the environment in the food processing, textile, and agriculture sectors. The change in TENG response is notably significant up to 70 % relative humidity (RH). This work showcases the development of self-powered humidity sensors.

A Novel Mechano-Synthesized Zeolitic Tetrazolate Framework for a High-Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerator and Self-Powered Selective Neurochemical Detection.

Designing a high-performing triboelectric novel material with eco-friendly, rapid, and cost-effective synthesis is the future of material research in triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG). We report a mechanochemical ball mill synthesis of a zeolitic tetrazolate framework (ZTF-8) that is isostructural with the well-known zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-8. ZTF-8 is extremely stable in water, 0.1 M aqueous acid/base solutions for 75 days at 25 °C, and boiling water (100 °C) for 7 days. Kelvin probe force microscopy and molecular electrostatic surface potential computational analysis exhibited that ZTF-8 has a very high positive surface potential. Atomic force microscopy and three-dimensional digital microscopy studies reveal the high roughness profile in the ZTF-8 film. The unique structure, exceptional acid/base stability, good dielectric property, and high roughness profile combined with the extremely electropositive nature of ZTF-8 make it a suitable candidate as a polymer-free triboelectric positive material in TENG with outstanding performance (power density of 720 mW/m2). High triboelectric output was further validated using the COMSOL Multiphysics simulation tool. Simple mechanical hand tapping of the ZTF-based TENG (ZTF-TENG) device generates high electric output, which was practically used to power numerous low-powered devices like tally counter, clinical thermometer, and digital clock and also illuminates 125 light-emitting diodes. In addition, the efficiency of ZTF-TENG was utilized as a self-powered device for a selective dopamine (DA) sensor with good sensitivity (377.76 mV/μM/cm2), wide range linearity (5-120 μM), and excellent limit of detection (0.42 μM).

All porous Ecoflex and SEBS-based stretchable high-performance triboelectric nanogenerator for self-powered human activity monitoring

Achieving a high output performance by expanding the surface area of triboelectric materials is key to developing triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) for future versatile applications. Herein, highly porous Ecoflex and styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) using chloroform are introduced to improve TENG performance. The triboelectric output increases significantly with increasing porosity, which can be attributed to the increase in the contact area, dielectric constant, and electrostatic induction in the porous structure, thereby resulting in additional surface charges on the porous surface and increased surface charge density of the friction materials. The TENG can stretch by up to 550 % with the designed fabric electrode configuration. Facilitated by the increased contact area of 3D printed microstructure and porous Ecoflex substrate, the fabricated TENG demonstrates a high voltage of 2280 V, corresponding to a power density of 18.8 W m−2, which is enough to power 460 light-emitting diodes and stopwatches. Demonstration of monitoring the walking steps of patients with Parkinson’s and blind people was also performed, which revealed outstanding sensing capabilities. In addition, the TENG-based self-powered sensor demonstrated an identification accuracy of 99.3 % and a motion detection accuracy of 98.2 % based on a deep learning model. Furthermore, by exploiting the outstanding ultrahigh sensitivity, the TENG was demonstrated for low-frequency football player motion monitoring. Therefore, the results of this study provide new insights into investigating porous materials and an efficient method to construct high-performance TENGs that can promote their practical application in the fields of smart healthcare and sports.

Advanced Dielectric Materials for Triboelectric Nanogenerators: Principles, Methods, and Applications.

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) manifests distinct advantages such as multiple structural selectivity, diverse selection of materials, environmental adaptability, low cost, and remarkable conversion efficiency, which becomes a promising technology for micro-nano energy harvesting and self-powered sensing. Tribo-dielectric materials are the fundamental and core components for high-performance TENGs. In particular, the charge generation, dissipation, storage, migration of the dielectrics, and dynamic equilibrium behaviors determine the overall performance. Herein, a comprehensive summary is presented to elucidate the dielectric charge transport mechanism and tribo-dielectric material modification principle toward high-performance TENGs. The contact electrification and charge transport mechanism of dielectric materials is started first, followed by introducing the basic principle and dielectric materials of TENGs. Subsequently, modification mechanisms and strategies for high-performance tribo-dielectric materials are highlighted regarding physical/chemical, surface/bulk, dielectric coupling, and structure optimization. Furthermore, representative applications of dielectric materials based TENGs as power sources, self-powered sensors are demonstrated. The existing challenges and promising potential opportunities for advanced tribo-dielectric materials are outlined, guiding the design, fabrication, and applications of tribo-dielectric materials.

Implantable heterogeneous triboelectric nanogenerator effectively prevents denervation-induced muscle atrophy

Electrical stimulation (ES) is one of the most effective methods of preventing muscle atrophy. However, current electrotherapy equipment is relatively complex and inconvenient to carry, and the daily training time needs to be scheduled. Implantable flexible triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) can realize ES and effectively avoid the above problems. Therefore, we developed a high-performance TENG with excellent biocompatibility and implanted it subcutaneously to prevent denervation-induced muscle atrophy. Moreover, molecular dynamics (MD) analysis found that the spacing of the heterogeneous film can change its dipole, which is one of the reasons for the voltage change of heterogeneous TENG (h-TENG). In addition, in vitro experiments demonstrate that h-TENG can effectively promote much more muscle cell proliferation. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis and gene knockout methods found that h-TENG prevents muscle atrophy by upregulating the expression of the FGF6 gene.

Multi-scale modified PVDF/Ag@C layer based on dielectric doping and plasma treatment for high-performance triboelectric nanogenerators and self-powered water sterilization

The limitations of dielectric properties and surface electron affinity and the harsh environment including high humidity, high salt content, and biological fouling restricted the efficient ocean energy harvesting of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). Here, Ag@C dielectric doping and two-step O2+CF4 plasma treatment are applied to achieve multi-scale modification of triboelectric materials. The coating of C shell avoided the agglomeration of Ag NPs. Besides, the amorphous C shell inhibited the formation of electron transport pathways, and the mechanism of suppressing dielectric loss of triboelectric layers were clarified via DFT calculations at the particle (Ag@C)-polymer (polyvinylidene difluoride, PVDF) interface. The surface charge density of plasma treated polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-PVDF/Ag@C-based TENG (PT-TENG) increased from 64.26 µC/m2 to 216.60 µC/m2, representing a significant breakthrough in energy harvesting efficiency. The mechanism of enhanced triboelectric properties was investigated based on modified Overlapped Electron Cloud model. Besides, DFT was applied to analyze the reaction mechanism in depth and predict the products of chemically-surface modification process. The oxygen-containing functional groups introduced by O2 plasma treatment likely serve as a "bridge" for the second-step grafting, which helps to build a more convincing reaction mechanism. The superhydrophobic PVDF/Ag@C exhibited excellent moisture-resistance, salt-resistance, and anti-bioadhensive properties, with outstanding charge density (321.45 µC/m2) at 95% RH, making it very suitable for energy harvesting in harsh marine environments. Moreover, the water sterilization system based on PT-TENG demonstrated a high sterilization rate of 98.74%, which was significantly higher than conventional AC power (89.96%).

Sustainable energy harvesting and breath sensing with electrospun triboelectric nylon-6

A high-performance triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been developed for breath sensing applications, utilizing tribopositive electrospun nylon-6 nanofibers and tribonegative fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP). The optimization toward the development of electrospun nylon-6-based TENG includes a range of factors such as the applied force and frequency on tribo responses, the thickness of the fiber mat, the concentration of nylon-6 in the fiber mats, and the selection of the tribonegative material for pairing with nylon-6 nanofiber. Among these parameters, the nanofiber prepared with 18 wt% nylon-6, characterized by a uniform fiber distribution, the highest surface area of 55.69 m2 g−1, and an optimal thickness of 0.169 mm, demonstrated excellent TENG performance, among others. The TENG module constructed using nanofiber in a 4 cm2 area showed the TENG responses of more than 30 μA short-circuit current, 200 V open-circuit voltage, and 90 nC charge when hand-pressed. It achieved a substantial power density of 890 mW m−2 at 20 MΩ by applying a constant force of 10 N at a 10 Hz frequency. Charging a 1 μF capacitor to approximately 30.1 V in just 30 s highlights the potential of electrospun nylon-6 as a promising material for nanogenerator energy harvesting and sensing applications. The TENG device was found to be sufficient to power small, portable electronics such as LEDs and digital watch displays. A wearable belt was fabricated to showcase its breath-sensing capabilities by pairing it with FEP. The microcontroller connected to the TENG in the wearable belt is used to analyze the output produced through breathing patterns, subsequently activating a buzzer and LED by the nature of the breathing.

High performance triboelectric nanogenerator based on purified chitin nanopaper for the applications of self-powered humidity sensing, gait monitoring, and hyperhidrosis sensor

Pollution caused by electronic wastes (E-wastes) is a global problem due to the use of haordous materials and chemicals in electronic devices therefore, green materials should be used to reduce the burden on our ecological system. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are among those electronic devices that have a huge scope of replacing currently used hazardous materials with green materials as their triboelectric layers and substrates. Herein, we used king mushroom powder as an electropositive layer of a TENG, but its output performance was compromised due to the presence of unwanted elements in it. Chitin was the most desirable element in mushroom powder for achieving triboelectricity therefore, we isolated it via non-acidic approach to fabricate a transparent thin film (234.5 μm) of chitin nanopaper (CN). A significant increase of 287% in the output performance was shown by isolated CN based TENG including higher voltage (151 V) and current (11.4 μA) with a maximum power density of 1.78 Wm−2. The fabricated CN-TENG was used to power micro electronic devices including (50 red LEDs) and charging/discharging 6 different capacitors ranging from 9.5 nF to 47 μF. Furthermore, the potential use of CN as a self-powered humidity sensor was explored by observing its response towards variations in relative humidity (RH). Analysis of obtained results verified the implication of isolated CN as the self-powered humidity sensor with a fast reaction/recovery time (7/10 s) and wide operating range (21–95 %RH). The fabricated device was successfully used for the practical applications of hyperhidrosis sensing and gait monitoring. Electronic devices like CN-TENG proved to be a substantial step-forward in contributing towards reduction of cost and global pollution caused by E-wastes.

Synergistic effects of rGO functionalization in nanocomposite-based triboelectric nanogenerators for enhanced energy harvesting

Enhancing the performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) by integrating advanced energy materials is crucial for broadening their applications. In this study, the tribo-positivity of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is physically tailored by doping with functionalized reduced graphene oxide (FrGO) into the polymer matrix, aiming to design high-performance TENGs. The pristine PVA and -OH, -COOH, and -NH2 FrGO nanocomposite with varying filler quantities (0–2 wt/wt%) are subjected to various characterizations for elucidating structural, surface and electrical properties. Further, electrical measurements of as-fabricated FrGO-TENGs revealed a notable increase in both voltage and current with increasing filler quantities. Interestingly, the NH2 FrGO-TENG shows maximum electrical output compared to –OH and –COOH FrGO-TENGs. Also, the open-circuit voltage (VOC) and short-circuit current (ISC) of NH2 FrGO-TENG are about 10 and 17 times more than that of pristine PVA-TENG. This substantial improvement is attributed to the extensive hydrogen bonding between the PVA-NH2 FrGO. Furthermore, the practical utility of the optimized device is demonstrated by showcasing its ability to power LEDs, digital timers, and commercial capacitors through a rectifier bridge. Thus, the results proved the potential of incorporating -NH2 FrGO into PVA as a synergistic material for sustainable and improvised energy harvesting, owing to opening new avenues for self-powered applications.

High-performance triboelectric nanogenerator based on natural silk fibroin and microstructured polytetrafluoroethylene for self-powered electronics and wearable sensing

Triboelectric materials and their surface morphology play a key role in improving the electrical output performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG). Here, we reported a facile, low-cost, and eco-friendly TENG using silk fibroin (SF) and microstructured polytetrafluoroethylene (M-PTFE) as positive and negative triboelectric materials, respectively. SF is a natural, eco-friendly, and low-cost biopolymer and has a strong electron loss performance. Befitting its fluffy soft and biocompatible contact with human skin, it shows great potential for fabricating bio-TENGs. More remarkably, instead of adopting expensive lithography or complex etching techniques, microstructured PTFE (M-PTFE) is fabricated through a simple and cost-effective polishing technique using sandpapers with different meshes. The electrical output performance of TENG assembled by SF and M-PTFE was systematically evaluated, and the maximum peak-to-peak open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current to be 238 V and 12.6 μA could be achieved by TENG with 9 cm2 area when polished with 40 meshes sandpaper. A relatively high output power density of 26.35 μW/cm2 was obtained with an external 100 MΩ load resistor. Moreover, by introducing a rectifier bridge, TENG was employed to charge capacitors and drive portable electronic devices, such as clock, calculator and commercial light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Finally, TENG was successfully used to harvest biomechanical energy and realize human motion monitoring, demonstrating great potential as a self-powered multi-functional wearable sensing device.

Dual–network carboxymethyl chitosan conductive hydrogels for multifunctional sensors and high–performance triboelectric nanogenerators

With the development of technology, there is a growing demand for wearable electronics that can fulfill different application scenarios. Hydrogel–based sensors are considered ideal candidates for realizing multifunctional wearable flexible devices. However, there are great challenges in preparing hydrogel–based sensors with both superior mechanical and electrical properties. Herein, we report a composite conductive hydrogel prepared by using a dynamically crosslinked carboxymethyl chitosan network and a covalently crosslinked polymer network, and carboxylated carbon nanotubes as conductive filler. The carboxymethyl chitosan–based hydrogels had excellent mechanical properties and strength (tensile strength of 475.4 kPa, and compressive strength of 1.9 MPa) and ultra–high conductivity (0.19 S·cm−1). Based on the above characteristics, the hydrogel could accurately identify the movement signals of the human body and different writing signals, and achieve encrypted transmission of signals, broadening the application scenarios. In addition, a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) was fabricated based on the hydrogel, which had an outstanding output performance with open–circuit voltage of 336 V, short–circuit current of 18 μA, transferred charge of 52 nC and maximum power density of 340 mW·m−2, and could power small devices. This work is expected to provide new ideas for the development of self–powered, multi–functional wearable, and flexible polysaccharide–based devices.

CuO/TiO2/MXene-Based Sensor and SMS-TENG Array Integrated Inspection Robots for Self-Powered Ethanol Detection and Alarm at Room Temperature.

In this study, a high-precision CuO/TiO2/MXene ethanol sensor operating at room temperature was prepared. The sensor exhibits excellent response value (95% @1 ppm ethanol), extremely low detection limit (0.3 ppm), fast response/recovery time (16/13 s), and remarkable long-term stability for trace detection of ethanol gas at room temperature, attributed to the p-n heterojunction formed by CuO and TiO2, as well as the rich functional groups and large specific surface area of MXene. Furthermore, a high-performance triboelectric nanogenerator (SMS-TENG) was developed through the introduction of the silicone/Mxene@silicone dual dielectric layer as the triboelectric layer, which improves the charge storage capacity of the dielectric layer and greatly enhances the output performance of the TENG. At the optimal doping ratio, the open-circuit voltage of the SMS-TENG can reach 1160 V, which is sufficient to light 720 LEDs. By combining the sensor and SMS-TENG, the resistive response of ethanol sensing is converted to a voltage response, which amplifies the response value up to 15.8 times. Finally, the designed SMS-TENGs are expected to be arrayed on an inspection robot as energy supply and combined with the CuO/TiO2/Mxene ethanol sensor to build a self-powered ethanol detection alarm system, endowing the inspection robot with the capability of self-powered ethanol detection at ppb level. This work provides an effective pathway for the intelligence of ethanol detection.

High-performance triboelectric nanogenerators based on blade-coating lead halide perovskite film and electrospinning PVDF/graphene nanofiber

Increasing the triboelectric charge density, and increasing the contact area are both important for improving the triboelectric output performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). In this work, the triboelectric output performances of TENGs were significantly improved by changing the preparation method of positive friction layer material Cs0.05FA0.7MA0.25PbI3 perovskite film and negative friction layer material PVDF-graphene (PG) composite material. The TENG based on perovskite film prepared by blade-coating (P-B) and PG nanofiber prepared by electrospinning (PG-E) achieved champion triboelectric output performances, including an open-circuit voltage of 200 V, a short-circuit current of 16.3 μA, a maximum transfer charge of 88.2 nC and a power density of 11.32 W/m2 under 3 Hz and 50 N, mainly because of the smaller work function of the P-B film and the larger effective contact area of the PG-E nanofiber. Besides, the TENG shows good durability and stability under different humidity and temperature conditions, and it can quickly charge capacitors and light up 351 commercial LEDs. This work demonstrates that the P-B and PG-E based TENG can be applied to energy harvesting, low power electronic devices driving, and self-powered temperature and humidity sensors.

Self-Powered Dual-Mode Pressure Sensor Based on Porous Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Use in Smart Home System

With the rapid evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT), smart home systems have greatly improved people’s lifestyles and quality of life. However, smart home systems based on a single sensor cannot efficiently control multiple terminals, which limits product penetration into lower-end markets. Here, we have developed a dual-mode smart home system based on a porous triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which effectively compensates for the shortcomings of smart home systems being unable to control multiple appliances through a single switch. Benefitting from the remarkable electronegativity of MXene and the ameliorative specific surface area of the friction layer, the output characteristics of the porous TENG are greatly improved. Under the identical external stimulus, the open-circuit voltage (VOC) and short-circuit current (ISC) of the porous TENG were 3.03 and 3.04 times higher than those of the TENG with a pure PVDF membrane used as the friction layer. Thanks to the excellent output performance and good linear relationship between pressure and voltage, the developed dual-mode smart home system could efficiently control multiple terminals through a single sensor. This work not only provides theoretical support for developing high-performance TENGs but also paves the way to designing multifunctional smart home systems.

Janus CoMOF-SEBS Membrane for Bifunctional Dielectric Layer in Triboelectric Nanogenerators.

Considerable research has been conducted on the application of functional nano-fillers to enhance the power generation capabilities of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). However, these additives often exhibit a decrease in output power at higher concentration. Here, a Janus cobalt metal-organic framework-SEBS (JCMS) membrane is reported as a dual-purpose dielectric layer capable of efficiently capturing and blocking charges for high-performance TENGs. The JCMS is produced asymmetrically through gravitational sedimentation, employing spherical CoMOFs within a diluted SEBS solution. Beyond its dual dielectric characteristics, the JCMS showcases exceptional mechanical durability, displaying notable stretchability of up to 475% and remarkable resilience when subjected to diverse mechanical pressures. Consequently, the JCMS-TENG produces a maximum peak-to-peak voltage of 936V, a current of 42.8µA, and a power density of 10.89Wm- 2 when exposed to an external force of 10N at a 5Hz frequency. This investigation highlights the potential of JCMS-TENGs with unique structures, known for their exceptional energy harvesting capabilities, mechanical strength, and flexibility. Additionally, the promising prospects of easily produced asymmetric structures is emphasized with bifunctionalities for developing efficient and flexible MOFs-based TENGs. These advancements are well-suited for self-powered wearables, rehabilitation devices, and energy harvesters.

Compositional Engineering of Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Lead-Halide Perovskite and PVDF-Graphene for High-Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerators.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have attracted a great deal of attention since they can convert ubiquitous mechanical energy into electrical energy and serve as a continuous power source for self-powered sensors. Optimization of the dielectric material composition is an effective way to improve the triboelectric output performance of TENGs. Herein, the hybrid organic-inorganic lead-iodide perovskite Cs0.05FA0.95-xMAxPbI3 was prepared by blade coating and used as a positive friction layer material. Moreover, PVDF-graphene (PG) nanofibers were prepared as negative friction layer materials by electrostatic spinning. The output performance of the TENG was enhanced by varying the MA content of the pervoskite films and the graphene content of the PG nanofibers. The champion output TENG based on Cs0.05FA0.9MA0.05PbI3/PG-0.15 achieved an open-circuit voltage of 245 V, a short-circuit current of 24 μA, and a charge transfer of 80.2 nC. Meanwhile, a maximum power density of 11.23 W m-2 was obtained at 100 MΩ. Moreover, the device exhibits excellent energy-harvesting properties, including excellent stability and durability, rapidly charges capacitors, and lights commercial LEDs and digital tubes.

Recyclable high-performance triboelectric nanogenerator enabled by dynamic covalently crosslinked polymers

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), being at the forefront of energy harvesting technologies, possess the ability to convert ambient energy sources into electrical power. However, the low energy density and non-recyclability of the tribolayers severely hinder its further application. To address this crucial issue, we propose an innovative approach by incorporating imine linkages into fluorine-containing polymers, creating a high-performance TENG with recyclability. The integration of imine linkages not only enhances the electrical output of TENG devices but also ensures their long-term sustainability as an energy solution. Notably, TENG devices utilizing this recyclable material demonstrate remarkable contact electrification performance, achieving a short-circuit current of up to 29.5 μA and an output voltage of up to 964 V. Furthermore, the efficient degradation and re-generation of the recyclable material facilitate a remarkable recovery of over 80% in the output of the refabricated TENG. To improve the energy utilization efficiency of the TENG, a power management circuit (PMC) based on a DC-DC buck converter is integrated to regulate the TENG without requiring an additional power supply. These findings offer crucial insights for advancing high-performance, recyclable TENG devices, which play a pivotal role in the development of sustainable energy harvesting technologies.