Triboelectric charge-enhanced rolling-structured triboelectric nanogenerator via ternary triboelectric interface for wave energy harvesting and marine sensing

Abstract

Rolling-structured triboelectric nanogenerators (RS-TENGs) hold great potential for marine wave energy harvesting owing to their structural simplicity, low-threshold driving capability, and suitability for mass production. To overcome charge density limitations in conventional binary interfaces, this work proposes a triboelectric charge-enhanced RS-TENG (TCE-TENG) by introducing a polyoxymethylene (POM) sidewall friction layer to construct a ternary triboelectric interface. Benefiting from the enhanced triboelectric polarity of POM, this design significantly boosts surface charge density, achieving an average volumetric power density of 21.3 W m⁻³ in controlled tests. To address the impedance mismatch between the TENG's high internal impedance and practical electronic loads, a compact power management circuit (PMC) is developed, dramatically improving capacitor charging efficiency. Under water wave conditions, the TCE-TENG maintains a robust average power density of 8.1 W m⁻³. When integrated with the PMC, it successfully powers an array of ten thermo-hygrometers; furthermore, it sustains a wireless water level alarm system in intermittent operation mode. This research offers a scalable technological foundation for advancing triboelectric nanogenerators in wave energy harvesting and self-powered marine sensing.