Issue 19, 2021

Air-gap embedded triboelectric nanogenerator via surface modification of non-contact layer using sandpapers

Abstract

With the increased number of small electronics and demand for their energy source, renewable energy sources have received much attention. Above all, a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on the combination of contact electrification and electrostatic induction has been researched as a method of converting mechanical energy into electricity. In order to increase the electrical output of TENGs with raising the surface charge density, a lot of researchers have focused on the fabrication methods to employ micro-/nano-structures onto a contact surface of the TENG, but have been facing several issues regarding the degradation of the output performance from the iterative operation process. Hence, it is highly required to introduce an approach to enhancing the performance of TENG, while minimally degrading the output power during the long-term operation. In this paper, an air-gap embedded TENG (AE-TENG), which contains a microstructure on the non-contact surface by means of a sandpaper, is proposed. These small air-gaps between the spin-coated polydimethylsiloxane and the non-contact surface can significantly boost the total surface charge density of the dielectric layer. Thus, the electrical output performance of the AE-TENG is enhanced without any surface engineering on the contact surface. Furthermore, the effect of the air-gap induced surface charges on the electric potential is systematically analyzed by not only experimentally electrical outputs, but theoretical and computational modeling based on the VQx relationship and simulation software tool. This air-gap induced triboelectric effect opens a new perspective of the development of electrical outputs by providing a structural/theoretical understanding for TENGs.

Graphical abstract: Air-gap embedded triboelectric nanogenerator via surface modification of non-contact layer using sandpapers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 3月 2021
Accepted
21 4月 2021
First published
30 4月 2021

Nanoscale, 2021,13, 8837-8847

Air-gap embedded triboelectric nanogenerator via surface modification of non-contact layer using sandpapers

I. Kim, H. Roh, W. Choi and D. Kim, Nanoscale, 2021, 13, 8837 DOI: 10.1039/D1NR01517F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements