Small-Sized, Lightweight, and Flexible Triboelectric Nanogenerator Enhanced by PTFE/PDMS Nanocomposite Electret

The rapid development of flexible and wearable electronics calls for a sustainable solution of the power supply. In recent years, the energy-harvesting triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has attracted increasing attentions due to its sustainability, flexibility, and versatility. However, achieving both high electric output and flexibility at the same time remains to be a challenge. In this work, we reported a corona charging enhanced flexible triboelectric nanogenerator (EF-TENG) to harvest mechanical energy from human motions. The EF-TENG relied on the repeated contacts between a poly(tetrafluoroethylene)/poly(dimethylsiloxane) nanocomposite electret and a nanofibers/AgNWs electrode on arrayed silicone pyramids. When the EF-TENG (3.5 × 3.5 cm²) was pressed, the open-circuit voltage (V_oc), the short-circuit current (I_sc), and the power density could reach 275 V, 9.5 μA, and 802.31 mW/m², respectively. The V_oc of the EF-TENG was improved by 244% compared to the device of which the electret was not corona charged. Major factors that affected the electric output of the EF-TENG were discussed, including the height of the pyramids, the configuration of the pyramids array, and the properties of the electret nanocomposite. The EF-TENG only had an overall thickness of 1.3 mm and a weight of 1.7 g, making it especially suitable to be attached onto human body for harvesting mechanical energy from biomechanical motions.