Triboelectric Nanogenerator Research Articles

Wet stability soft skin electronic sensor based on biochar-polypyrrole conductive hydrogel

Hydrogels have the softness and stretchability of similar tissues and are considered as materials for smart flexible electronic devices. However, the durability and reliability of most polypyrrole hydrogels in wet environments are still insufficient, especially its wet stability in the wet environment of seawater, limiting its development as flexible conductive electrodes. In this study, the porous solid carbon material after pyrolysis of natural materials is introduced into hydrogel, which is conducive to the migration and propagation of electrolyte ions, and can improve the moisture resistance stability of hydrogel. At the same time, polypyrrole material is introduced to further improve its electrical conductivity. With this method, the conductivity of conventional hydrogel materials can be increased by 12.2 times. The triboelectric nanogenerator device prepared with polypyrrole/biochar composite hydrogel can not only accurately monitor human joint motion, but also easily light up at least 300 light-emitting diodes when rubbed with aluminum materials, which proves the practical performance of the device. This study provides an alternative material for sensing hydrogels that can be used for human health monitoring of marine operators.

Skin-inspired self-powered tactile sensing textile with high resistance to tensile interference

Tactile sensors that can mimic the sensory capabilities of human skin to perceive external static and dynamic pressure without tensile interference are essential in smart wearable electronics. Here, inspired by human skin, we report a highly stretchable and conformable self-powered tactile sensing textile capable of precisely sensing the pressure with no influence of the extension. The tactile sensing textile consists of an elastic fabric substrate and a triboelectric nanogenerator network with specific dimensionally stable triangular cross knots, providing the textile with prominent comprehensive performances (high tactile sensitivity, high stretching-insensitivity, high pressure resolution, long-time stability, and washability) superior to other reported stretching-insensitive tactile sensors. A pressure sensing system is developed based on the tactile sensing textile, which presents wide application for precise pressure detection in smart wearable conditions including athletics and healthcare facilities.

Feather-inspired triboelectric nanogenerator with lift and drag modulation for wind energy harvesting

Feather-inspired triboelectric nanogenerator with lift and drag modulation for wind energy harvesting

A dual wave structure triboelectric sensor for heart rate and exercise monitoring

Recently, research on wearable devices for physiological exercise monitoring has garnered significant attention. Here, we propose a dual wave-structured triboelectric nanogenerator (DW-TENG) integrated with a cotton cloth, developed for smart running applications. The DW-TENG sensor leverages a flexible wave triboelectric layer composed of polydimethylsiloxane and silicone, with a copper electrode layer between them for sensing. This structure allows for customizable pressure sensitivity by adjusting the silicone hardness. Experimental results show that the DW-TENG achieves a sensitivity of 0.4 V kPa−1, with response and recovery times of 75 and 90 ms, respectively. The sensor effectively measures heart rate changes during various physical activities, including walking, running, and jumping. Electrical performance tests reveal that the DW-TENG’s output is significantly influenced by the silicone hardness, operational frequency, and microstructure height. The DW-TENG sensor demonstrates high durability and stability, maintaining consistent voltage output over 40 000 cycles. This research highlights the potential of the DW-TENG in multifunctional physiological and physical activity monitoring, providing real-time data on respiratory patterns, heart rate, and movement dynamics, thus enhancing athletic training, performance assessment, and health monitoring.

Self-Powered Traffic Lights Through Wind Energy Harvesting Based on High-Performance Fur-Brush Dish Triboelectric Nanogenerators.

Traffic lights play vital roles in urban traffic management systems, providing clear directional guidance for vehicles and pedestrians while ensuring traffic safety. However, the vast quantity of traffic lights widely distributed in the transportation system aggravates energy consumption. Here, a self-powered traffic light system is proposed through wind energy harvesting based on a high-performance fur-brush dish triboelectric nanogenerator (FD-TENG). The FD-TENG harvests wind energy to power the traffic light system continuously without needing an external power supply. Natural rabbit furs are applied to dish structures, due to their outstanding characteristics of shallow wear, high performance, and resistance to humidity. Also, the grid pattern of the dish structure significantly impacts the TENG outputs. Additionally, the internal electric field and the influences of mechanical and structural parameters on the outputs are analyzed by finite element simulations. After optimization, the FD-TENG can achieve a peak power density of 3.275Wm-3. The portable and miniature features of FD-TENG make it suitable for other natural environment systems such as forests, oceans, and mountains, besides the traffic light systems. This study presents a viable strategy for self-powered traffic lights, establishing a basis for efficient environmental energy harvesting toward big data and Internet of Things applications.

High-performance triboelectric nanogenerator with aminated barium titanate composite nanoparticles for early Parkinson’s disease diagnosis

High dielectric constant nanoparticles into polymer matrices have attracted much attention because this process can improve the nanofriction generator performance. However, the dispersion of the developed materials remains a challenge. In this paper, we present a novel high-performance nanofriction generator (FBT-TENG) based on composite nanoparticles of Amino-functionalized barium titanate and functionalized graphite oxide (FGO/ABTO) with Polyimide (PI) as substrate, which can be used as a sensor for intelligent monitoring systems. Specifically, we introduced amino groups on the surface of barium titanate to improve its dispersion in the PI solution, and the dual effect composite with functionalized graphite oxide improved the TENG performance of the PI film. Due to the FGO/ABTO synergy, the FBT-TENG can generate high output voltages, currents and power densities of 75 V, 13 µA and 4.6 W/m2, respectively, which is a 9 times increase in power density compared to the original PI film. FBT-TENG is capable of powering capacitors. In addition, the FBT-TENG can be used as a sensor to build an early Parkinson’s disease detection system, which provides a more convenient option for the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s patients and has the potential for a wide range of medical applications.

Bio-inspired e-skin with integrated antifouling and comfortable wearing for self-powered motion monitoring and ultra-long-range human-machine interaction

Electronic skin (e-skin) inspired by the sensory function of the skin demonstrates broad application prospects in health, medicine, and human–machine interaction. Herein, we developed a self-powered all-fiber bio-inspired e-skin (AFBI E-skin) that integrated functions of antifouling, antibacterial properties, biocompatibility and breathability. AFBI E-skin was composed of three layers of electrospun nanofibrous films. The superhydrophobic outer layer Poly(vinylidene fluoride)-silica nanofibrous films (PVDF-SiO2 NFs) possessed antifouling properties against common liquids in daily life and resisted bacterial adhesion. The polyaniline nanofibrous films (PANI NFs) were used as the electrode layer, and it had strong “static” antibacterial capability. Meanwhile, the inner layer Polylactic acid nanofibrous films (PLA NFs) served as a biocompatible substrate. Based on the triboelectric nanogenerator principle, AFBI E-skin not only enabled self-powered sensing but also utilized the generated electrical stimulation for “dynamic” antibacterial. The “dynamic-static” synergistic antibacterial strategy greatly enhanced the antibacterial effect. AFBI E-skin could be used for self-powered motion monitoring to obtain a stable signal output even when water was splashed on its surface. Finally, based on AFBI E-skin, we constructed an ultra-long-range human-machine interaction control system, enabling synchronized hand gestures between human hand and robotic hand in any internet-covered area worldwide theoretically. AFBI E-skin exhibited vast application potential in fields like smart wearable electronics and intelligent robotics.

Study of knitted-based triboelectric nanogenerators in bending and stretching motion

Study of knitted-based triboelectric nanogenerators in bending and stretching motion

Interfacial droplet-based triboelectric nanogenerator with optimized architecture for highly efficient vibrational energy conversion

Interfacial droplet-based triboelectric nanogenerator with optimized architecture for highly efficient vibrational energy conversion

Smartifying Martial Arts: Lightweight Triboelectric Nanogenerator as a Self-Powered Sensor for Accurate Judging and AI-Driven Performance Analysis

Smartifying Martial Arts: Lightweight Triboelectric Nanogenerator as a Self-Powered Sensor for Accurate Judging and AI-Driven Performance Analysis

Papermaking-inspired sustainable triboelectric sensors for intelligent detecting system

Digitalization not only drives the intelligent transformation of industries while fostering cultural diversity and innovation. Cutting-edge triboelectric sensing technology inspired by traditional Chinese papermaking fabricates a bamboo paper-based triboelectric nanogenerator (BP-TENG). The addition of high-purity bacterial cellulose improves the structural integrity of the resulting paper. The proposed BP-TENG exhibits excellent electrical performance, generating an output voltage of 88 V and a maximum output power of 0.9 mW at a low-frequency motion of 2 Hz. Moreover, the BP-TENG is combined with machine learning algorithms to build a multi-scene intelligent detecting system, including real-time handwriting-to-speech conversion, personalized jump prediction and smart home automation systems. The machine learning algorithm can achieve a recognition accuracy of up to 99.8 %. This multi-scene intelligent detecting system boasts superior accuracy, environmental sustainability and affordability, ideal for communication security, sports health monitoring and smart building applications.

Flexible Fiber Shaped Self-Powered System Based on Conductive PANI for Signal Sensing and Energy Harvesting.

As science and technology advance, people are increasingly inclined to use sustainable and portable wearable electronic devices. The traditional supporting power source, batteries, suffers from issues of flexibility and lifespan, severely constraining the development of wearable devices. Alternatively, the self-powered system, serving as a power source, can effectively collect energy from the surrounding environment, achieving maintenance-free operation and high adaptability, which has attracted widespread research. The coaxial fiber-structured self-powering system proposed in this study is based on a supercapacitor (SC) and a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). The carbon fiber (CF) has polyaniline (PANI) and rGO connected to it, and a friction layer of silicone rubber is wrapped around the outside. The conductivity of the fiber was increased by multiple PANI graftings, and a coaxial fiber-type TENG with a 2 mm diameter was created. Following weaving, the TENG displays a high power density of 576 mW m-2 and an open-circuit voltage of 160 V and a short-circuit current of 9 μA. In addition, the flexible fiber-shaped supercapacitor uses NiAl-LDHs@CF as the negative electrode and AC@CF as the positive electrode, showing a specific capacitance of up to 281.4 mF cm-2. Furthermore, the SC and TENG are assembled into a coaxial self-power supply system, which has excellent performance and shows extensive potential applications in the field of wearable device power supply.

Driving Wi-Fi IoT Sensors by a Hybrid Magneto-Mechano-Electric Energy Generator Extracting a Power of over 50mW.

Energy harvesting technology is mainly used as a power source for driving Internet of Things (IoT) devices. However, the output power of conventional harvesting devices are limited, suitable only for low-power-consumption IoT sensors based on Bluetooth communication. In contrast to Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) communication offers superior real-time monitoring and transmission capabilities, but requires more power in the range of hundreds of milliwatts or higher. Therefore, the hybridization of three energy conversion devices, namely, piezoelectric magneto-mechano-electric (MME) generator, electromagnetic (EM) induction coil, and triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is proposed as a standalone power source for Wi-Fi communication sensors. By integrating these three mechanisms, the hybrid MME energy harvester can achieve an output power exceeding 50mW at the second harmonic resonance condition under the alternating current (AC) magnetic field of 10Oe. Furthermore, it can successfully drive the Wi-Fi sensor, enabling continuous real-time monitoring without the degradation of charged power in a supercapacitor. These results highlight that energy harvesting technology is not limited to low-power devices but can also be applied to Wi-Fi communication sensors and beyond.

Body-worn and self-powered flexible optoelectronic device for metronomic photodynamic therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) as a clinical method relies on appropriate light delivery to activate photosensitizers, usually necessitates the utilization of cumbersome surgical instruments and high irradiation intensity, along with the requirement for hospitalization. To extend the applicability of PDT beyond hospital for better patient mobility, we design a wearable and self-powered metronomic PDT (mPDT) system for chronic wound infection treatment. A flexible alternative current electroluminescent (ACEL) device is constructed through sandwiching an emissive layer between conductive hydrogel electrodes. This ACEL device works as a therapeutic patch by loading photosensitizer (PS) in its bottom hydrogel electrode, thus aviods the intravenous administration to patients. Under the triboelectric nanogenerator generated AC pulse, the electroluminescence produced from emissive layer can be absorbed by the PS-loaded electrode to generate reactive oxygen species for mPDT. Benefited from its arbitrary tailorability, this device can be customized into on-demand shapes and sizes. Using diabetic infected wound as a model condition, this ACEL mPDT device effectively eliminates drug-resistant bacteria and accelerates wound healing. Thus, the body-worn optoelectronic device successfully avoids the utilization of extracorporeal physical light and power sources, providing a promising strategy for convenient, user-friendly, and prolonged treatment of superficial diseases.

Waste-to-energy: Repurposing flexible polyurethane waste for triboelectric nanogenerator applications

Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENG) is a promising approach for clean energy harvesting. Light weight, flexible, cheap and environmentally-friendly materials are being explored as potential components in the TENG device in order to increase its efficiency. This paper reports the first effort to successfully utilize rebonded flexible polyurethane (RFPU) waste as a tribopositive material in a TENG device. A batch moulding technique was used to create two different densities (60 and 70 kg/m3) of flexible polyurethane (FPU) scraps, including customer waste and slabstock foam production waste. The current study investigates the effect of density on the compression strengths of the RFPU materials, as well as the impact on the output voltage of the TENG. Additionally, the effect of various RFPU sheet thicknesses (2, 4, 6, and 8 mm) as well as the effect of different applied forces and frequencies on the TENG's output voltage were investigated. The findings showed that the compressive strength increases with higher RFPU density. The output voltage values of the TENG device were recorded both with and without pre-charging. The results, without pre-charging, revealed that the highest output voltage of the TENG was obtained using an RFPU sheet with a density of 60 kg/m3. Furthermore, output voltage was shown to decrease with increasing RFPU sheet thickness and to increase with applied frequency. Pre-charging showed a similar trend, but yielded better results compared to the RFPU samples that were not pre-charged. The power density peaked at 0.085 mW/cm2, at a load resistance of 5 MΩ and a force of 4.7 N. The RFPU-based TENG successfully powered four white LEDs connected in series. Analysis of the embodied energy associated with using PU foam waste instead of virgin PU foam was conducted and demonstrated that utilizing PU foam waste provides environmental benefits due to the significant contribution of raw materials to the overall embodied energy in PU foam that is saved when reusing foam waste. Additionally, assessing the embodied energy of the components of the TENG device was also conducted and shows that the generated energy can partially offset the embodied energy of the TENG device. As a result, the prepared RFPU material not only helps to safeguard the environment but also shows great promise for use in developing more efficient and affordable TENGs in the future.

Multiphase soft metal enabled high-performance fabric-based wearable energy harvesting

Highly efficient and flexible power sources have always been the focus and goal in the field of wearable electronics. However, the existing wearable power sources are limited by their large size, high weight, electrolyte leakage, and poor mechanical compliance, which seriously hinders their practical applications. Herein, we propose a novel strategy to achieve and demonstrate a fabric-based high-performance wearable triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) structure. The metals of gallium (Ga), bismuth (Bi), indium (In), and tin (Sn) are mixed according to specific mass ratios, and then they are transformed in liquid phase to form room-temperature multiphase soft metals of GaBiInSn. The material exhibits both metallic and fluidic properties, and possesses a characteristic of multiphase structure. The GaBiInSn material is directly deposited between polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layers and nonwoven fabrics to establish multi-level conductive and frictional interfaces, creating charge transfer and solid-liquid hybrid dielectric layers. Therefore, the thin film-type triboelectric nanogenerators with a structure of PTFE/GaBiInSn/nonwoven fabric (LM-P-TENGs) is manufactured. The LM-P-TENGs can be integrated onto fabrics without compromising their breathability, comfortableness, and flexibility. Particularly, LM-P-TENGs efficiently convert the mechanical energy of human limb movements into sustainable electrical energy output. Under the human limb mechanical triggering conditions, LM-P-TENG achieves a champion specific open-circuit voltage up to 900 V, peak short-circuit current density of 43.3 mA/m2, and high power density of 12.56 W/m2. This work demonstrates the application potential of room-temperature multiphase soft materials in flexible wearable power sources, while introducing a novel power supply mode for wearable electronics. Additionally, the LM-P-TENGs also present applications in self-powered wearables, medical biosensing systems, human-machine interaction systems, near-eye display systems, etc. for the flexible electronics.

Study of wind energy harvesting based on rolling bearing type triboelectric nanogenerator

This research developed a novel rolling bearing type triboelectric generator (RB-TENG) designed to efficiently harvest wind energy across a broad spectrum of wind speeds. This generator consists of a column stator shell made of rigid transparent resin. The inside of the stator is open with a circular track affixed with four pairs of copper electrodes, which rub against PTFE balls, using the independent layer operating mode of the triboelectric nanogenerator, due to the use of rolling friction pairs with the collection of a wide range of wind speeds, as low as 2.5 m/s wind speed can be collected. RB-TENG uses rolling friction instead of sliding to extend its service life. The experimental results show that within the wind speed range of 2.5 m/s to 8 m/s, the output performance of RB-TENG increases randomly with the increase of wind speed, and the numerical growth is not very significant after the wind speed of 6 m/s. The effective power density measured at a wind speed of 8 m/s was 5.07 mW/m2. Furthermore, experiments validate the RB-TENG's capability to power small appliances and its potential applicability in sea farms. It provides a viable solution to reducing reliance on fossil fuels and offers a multi-purpose strategy based on wind energy.

Advancements and Future Prospects in Ocean Wave Energy Harvesting Technology Based on Micro-Energy Technology.

Marine wave energy exhibits significant potential as a renewable resource due to its substantial energy storage capacity and high energy density. However, conventional wave power generation technologies often suffer from drawbacks such as high maintenance costs, cumbersome structures, and suboptimal conversion efficiencies, thereby limiting their potential. The wave power generation technologies based on micro-energy technology have emerged as promising new approaches in recent years, owing to their inherent advantages of cost-effectiveness, simplistic structure, and ease of manufacturing. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current research status in wave energy harvesting through micro-energy technologies, including detailed descriptions of piezoelectric nanogenerators, electromagnetic generators, triboelectric nanogenerators, dielectric elastomer generators, hydrovoltaic generators, and hybrid nanogenerators. Finally, we provide a comprehensive overview of the prevailing issues and challenges associated with these technologies, while also offering insights into the future development trajectory of wave energy harvesting technology.

Self-healable, recyclable, and mechanically robust vitrimer composite for high-performance triboelectric nanogenerators and self-powered wireless electronics

With growing concerns about sustainability, there has been significant research interest in fabricating triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) from materials capable of self-repair. Here, we presented a novel polyimine/graphite polypropylene (PI/GP) vitrimer composite as a tribo-positive material for harvesting biomechanical energy. The PI/GP exhibited mechanical robustness, self-healing properties after damage, and recyclability through physical or chemical methods. The GP provided a high dielectric constant, charge transport paths, and desirable surface roughness, resulting in an outstanding TENG performance at an optimized addition level of 30 wt% in the composite (PI/GP30). Under a force of 15 N and a frequency of 6 Hz, the PI/GP30 TENG generated a power density of 2571 mW/m². Moreover, a PI/GP30 TENG device with an area of 49 cm2 was able to generate a remarkable output voltage of nearly 1325 V, at a frequency of 6 Hz and under a vertical force of 15 N. Additionally, the PI/GP30 TENG device produced a peak-to-peak voltage of 1250 V, and an outstanding current of around 2 mA by hand tapping with a force of 35–40 N. The PI/GP30 TENG was utilized for real-life applications, including a triboelectric watchband for a self-powered watch, and wireless data transmission. Furthermore, the PI/GP30 TENG demonstrated excellent self-healing and recyclability, and these properties were examined in a mousepad power generator. This study highlights the excellent promise of PI/GP vitrimer composite for fabricating high-performance, mechanically robust, self-healable, and recyclable TENGs, enabling their applications in green biomechanical power generators and wearable and wireless communication devices.

Self-powered temperature-changing system driven by wind energy

Research on outdoor, mobile, and self-powered temperature-control devices has always been highly regarded. These devices can reduce energy consumption for cooling and heating, and they have broad market prospects. On this basis, a rotary disc-shaped triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) with a maximum open-circuit voltage of 6913 V, a maximum short-circuit current of 85 μA, and a maximum transferred charge of 1.3 μC was prepared. We synthesized a ferroelectric ceramic composed of 0.15PbTiO3–0.85PbSc0.5Ta0.5O3 (0.15PT–0.85PST), which exhibited excellent electrothermal effects at room temperature. By quenching, the electrothermal effect (Δ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Delta$$\\end{document}Tmax) and energy harvesting properties of the device were 1.574 K and 0.542 J/cm3, respectively. Then, for the first time, we proposed a self-powered temperature quantification control system with a rotary disc-shaped TENG. This device effectively harnessed wind and water energy, in addition to other types of energy. The system consisted of energy collecting cups, a rotating disc-shaped FEP–rabbit fur TENG, a circuit management module, and a ferroelectric ceramic chip array. Through the circuit management module, the system converted external wind energy into a high-voltage electric field at the two ends of the 0.15PT–0.85PST ceramic chip to fully stimulate the electrothermal effect. At a speed of 200 rpm, the temperature change in the insulated cup within 276 s was 0.49 K, and the volume of the insulated cup was 300 times greater than that of the 0.15PT–0.85PST ceramic chip. Compared with the results reported in previous work, the cooling and heating times were both reduced by 31%, and the temperature changes for both cooling and heating increased by 81%. Moreover, the heating and cooling temperatures of the device optimized on this basis were increased to 1.19 K and 0.93 K, respectively. The great improvement in the temperature variation performance confirmed the great potential of the device for commercialization. This research could serve as a reference for reducing energy consumption for cooling and heating, and it meets the international energy policies of carbon dioxide emission peaking and carbon neutrality.