Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG),
which is prepared from porous
poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), has garnered considerable interest
as a small, lightweight device capable of harvesting various forms
of mechanical energy. However, the long fabrication period, hazardous
reagents, complicated processes, and high costs limit its application
in the wearable field. In this study, the porous PDMS film TENG (F-TENG)
was prepared by modifying PDMS with three foaming agents. The whole
process has the advantages of having a short production cycle and
being simple and safe. The specific surface area of porous PDMS films
was significantly improved compared to pure PDMS films. The F-TENG
prepared from porous PDMS with the smallest pore size exhibits the
largest specific surface area and the best output performance. The
effect of the weight percentage of the doped foaming agent on the
output performance was investigated. The results indicated that the
optimal performance was obtained when 8 wt % of azodicarbonamide was
doped. At this doping level, the F-TENG achieved an open-circuit voltage
of 100.38 V and a short-circuit current of 3.99 μA, which were
3.71 times and 3.12 times higher than those of PDMS-TENG. Furthermore,
the device can collect mechanical energy from the movements of multiple
parts of the body and convert it into electrical signals. When integrated
with rectifier circuits and capacitors, the F-TENG can constitute
a self-powered system to power small appliances. The electronic system
has great application potential in the fields of wearable devices,
self-powered sensing, and power supply of microelectronic devices.