A transparent flexible thin-film triboelectric nanogenerator for scalable electricity generation

We report a flexible thin-film-based triboelectric nanogenerator (TF-TENG) that has a one-component laminated structure as thin as 100 μm. The electricity-generating process of the TF-TENG takes advantage of the interaction between the TF-TENG and an external object that carries triboelectric charge on the surface. The motion of the object creates electric potential difference between two electrodes on the TF-TENG, which then produces electron flow in the external circuit. When triggered by foot stomping, a TF-TENG (20 cm by 20 cm) spread on the floor could generate an open-circuit voltage of 700 V, a short-circuit current of 3 mA, and an instantaneous power of 168 mW that corresponds to a power density of 4.2 W/m². The generated electricity could simultaneously power 1,000 LEDs. The TF-TENG can be tailored to any desired size and shape that are suitable in a variety of circumstances as long as contacts with external objects take place. When the TF-TENG is scaled up in area and used in places that have large flows of people such as subway stations and shopping malls, the produced electric energy in total may become considerable.