Cost-Effective Copper–Nickel-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Corrosion-Resistant and High-Output Self-Powered Wearable Electronic Systems

Abstract

Recent years, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have attracted increased attention from researchers worldwide. Owing to their conductivity and triboelectric characteristics, metal materials can be made as both triboelectric materials and conductive electrodes. However, the surface of typical metals (such as copper, aluminum, and iron) is likely to be corroded when the sweat generated by human-body movement drops on the surface of TENGs, as this corrosion is detrimental to the output performance of TENGs. In this work, we proposed a novel corrosion-resistant copper–nickel based TENG (CN-TENG). Copper–nickel alloy conductive tape and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape played the role of the triboelectric materials, and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was utilized as the supporting part. The conductive copper–nickel alloy tape also served as a conductive electrode. The open-circuit voltage (VOC) and short-circuit current (ISC) can arrive at 196.8 V and 6 μA, respectively. Furthermore, peak power density values of 45 μW/cm2 were realized for the CN-TENG. A series of experiments confirmed its corrosion-resistant property. The approximate value of VOC for the fabricated TENG integrated into the shoe reached 1500 V, which is capable of driving at least 172 high-power LEDs in series. The results of this research provide a workable method for supporting corrosion-resistant self-powered wearable electronics.

Recent Progresses in Wearable Triboelectric Nanogenerators

“…To tackle this issue, Xia et al developed a copper/nickel‐based TENG resistant to corrosion, which was integrated into a shoe sole. [ 182 ] A Cu/Ni alloy conductive tape was used both as electrode and positive tribomaterial, and a PTFE tape as the negative triboelectric material. The TENG fabrication process is illustrated in Figure a(i), which allows the stacking of multiple parallel units working in the contact–separation mode.…”

“…Reproduced with permission. [ 182 ] Copyright 2019, MDPI AG. c) Zigzag‐structured TENG and d) its electric output under foot pressing.…”

“…a) Cu-Ni-based TENG and b) its application in electronics powering from human running. Reproduced with permission [182]. Copyright 2019, MDPI AG.…”

Triboelectric Nanogenerator Enabled Smart Shoes for Wearable Electricity Generation

“…TENG can also be integrated into the sole during the production process, given that the sole has a relatively large space that can harness large movement ranges and improve output performance [ 16 , 132 , 170 , 171 ]. Niu et al first proposed a highly-efficient self-charging system for sustainably powering wearable electronics, in which the most important part was the ingenious design of TENG [ 132 ].…”

“…Figure 9(c) shows that the output voltage was able to reach up to 700 V, indicating great application potential. A novel corrosion-resistant copper-nickel based TENG with a similar, multilayered, and stacked structure that can deliver up to 1500 V when integrated into the shoe, was also developed [ 170 ].…”