Flexible triboelectric generator

Feng, Fan; Tian, Zhong‐Qun; Wang, Zhong Lin

doi:10.1016/j.nanoen.2012.01.004

Cited by 5,082 publications

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“…Recently, we have developed a flexible triboelectric generator (TEG) using all-polymer based materials. 22 By stacking two thin polymer films made of Kapton and polyester (PET), a charge generation, separation, and induction process can be achieved through a mechanical deformation of the polymer films as a result of the triboelectric effect. This is a simple, low-cost, readily scalable fabrication process of generator that can convert random mechanical energy in our living environment into electric energy using the well-known triboelectric effect.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Transparent Triboelectric Nanogenerators and Self-Powered Pressure Sensors Based on Micropatterned Plastic Films

et al. 2012

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Transparent, flexible and high efficient power sources are important components of organic electronic and optoelectronic devices. In this work, based on the principle of the previously demonstrated triboelectric generator, we demonstrate a new high-output, flexible and transparent nanogenerator by using transparent polymer materials. We have fabricated three types of regular and uniform polymer patterned arrays (line, cube, and pyramid) to improve the efficiency of the nanogenerator. The power generation of the pyramid-featured device far surpassed that exhibited by the unstructured films and gave an output voltage of up to 18 V at a current density of ∼0.13 μA/cm 2 . Furthermore, the as-prepared nanogenerator can be applied as a self-powered pressure sensor for sensing a water droplet (8 mg, ∼3.6 Pa in contact pressure) and a falling feather (20 mg, ∼0.4 Pa in contact pressure) with a low-end detection limit of ∼13 mPa. KEYWORDS: Nanogenerator, transparent, polymer, pressure sensor T he integration of flexible and transparent characteristics is an important component in the new organic electronic and optoelectronic devices 1−3 and has been achieved for various applications, including transistors, 4,5 lithium-ion batteries, 6 supercapacitors, 7,8 pressure sensors, and artificial skins. 9−12 Indeed, building flexible transparent energy conversion and storage units plays a key role in realizing fully flexible and transparent devices. In 2006, our group demonstrated the first piezoelectric ZnO nanogenerator that successfully converted mechanical energy into electric energy. 13 Since then, various nanogenerators (NGs) based on piezoelectric effect have been demonstrated. 14−17 As an important part in this field, some studies on fully integrated flexible and transparent NGs have been reported. 18−21 Almost all of them are based on piezoelectric ZnO nanowires and the entire device requires sophisticated design and a high degree of integration.The general physical process for energy conversion has three important steps: charge generation, charge separation, and charge flow. These steps were accomplished in piezoelectric NGs by employing the piezoelectric potential created under strain. Recently, we have developed a flexible triboelectric generator (TEG) using all-polymer based materials. 22 By stacking two thin polymer films made of Kapton and polyester (PET), a charge generation, separation, and induction process can be achieved through a mechanical deformation of the polymer films as a result of the triboelectric effect. This is a simple, low-cost, readily scalable fabrication process of generator that can convert random mechanical energy in our living environment into electric energy using the well-known triboelectric effect. Furthermore, through rational design, this new mode of power generation can be developed to build a high-output, flexible, and transparent NG.To make the device transparent and improve the power generation density, three approaches were employed in this research: (i) replacing Kapton ...

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“…22 By stacking the two sheets together with flexibility of relative sliding, two insulating polymeric materials are touched and rubbed with each other when deformed by an external mechanical deformation. Thus, triboelectric charges with opposite signs are generated and distributed on the internal surfaces of the two polymers.…”

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Transparent Triboelectric Nanogenerators and Self-Powered Pressure Sensors Based on Micropatterned Plastic Films

et al. 2012

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“…8 Recently, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have been invented for harvesting ambient mechanical energy based on the triboelectric effect coupled with electrostatic effect, and it has demonstrated unprecedented high output of its kind in both voltage and power density and efficiency, showing great promise for building self-powered portable electronics as well as possible large-scale energy harvesting. 9−11 Although the triboelectrification effect has been known for thousands of years, a fundamental understanding about it is rather limited.…”

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In Situ Quantitative Study of Nanoscale Triboelectrification and Patterning

et al. 2013

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By combining contact-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning Kevin probe microscopy (SKPM), we demonstrated an in situ method for quantitative characterization of the triboelectrification process at the nanoscale. We systematically characterized the triboelectric charge distribution, multifriction effect on charge transfer, as well as subsequent charge diffusion on the dielectric surface: (i) the SiO 2 surface can be either positively or negatively charged through triboelectric process using Si-based AFM probes with and without Pt coating, respectively; (ii) the triboelectric charges accumulated from multifriction and eventually reached to saturated concentrations of (−150 ± 8) μC/m 2 and (105 ± 6) μC/m 2 , respectively; (iii) the charge diffusion coefficients on SiO 2 surface were measured to be (1.10 ± 0.03) × 10 −15 m 2 /s for the positive charge and (0.19 ± 0.01) × 10 −15 m 2 /s for the negative charges. These quantifications will facilitate a fundamental understanding about the triboelectric and de-electrification process, which is important for designing high performance triboelectric nanogenerators. In addition, we demonstrated a technique for nanopatterning of surface charges without assistance of external electric field, which has a promising potential application for directed self-assembly of charged nanostructures for nanoelectronic devices. KEYWORDS: Triboelectric, atomic force microscopy, scanning Kelvin probe microscopy, nanogenerators, TENG C harge transfer between surfaces of two distinctly different materials through triboelectric effect is a well-known phenomenon 1−3 that has various applications such as powder spray painting, 4 electrophotography, 5,6 electrostatic separation, 7 and energy harvesting. 8 Recently, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have been invented for harvesting ambient mechanical energy based on the triboelectric effect coupled with electrostatic effect, and it has demonstrated unprecedented high output of its kind in both voltage and power density and efficiency, showing great promise for building self-powered portable electronics as well as possible large-scale energy harvesting. 9−11 Although the triboelectrification effect has been known for thousands of years, a fundamental understanding about it is rather limited. Research has been conducted to characterize the triboelectrification process using various methods such as rolling sphere tool-collecting induced charges from rolling spheres on top of a dielectric disk, 12−15 and using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure surface electrostatic force or potential on surfaces contacted by micropatterned materials. 16−18 However, these methods either lack an accurate control of the electrification process and/or cannot directly reveal the triboelectric interface, thus hardly achieving a quantitative understanding about the in situ triboelectric process.Here, we demonstrate an in situ method to quantitatively characterize the triboelectrification at nanoscale via a combination of contact-mode AFM and ...

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“…Energy-harvesting technology that uses the coupling effects of contact-electrification and electrostatic induction, called a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), has been considered a promising alternative for renewable and green energy applications, such as self-powered electronic devices, touch sensors, and artificial skins, due to its advantages of high output power, scalability, simple design, and cost-effective fabrication [25][26][27][28][29][30] . In addition, transparent TENGs using indium tin oxide (ITO) or graphene as electrodes have been achieved, which enable applications that require high transparency such as touch screens [31][32][33][34][35] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Controlled fabrication of nanoscale wrinkle structure by fluorocarbon plasma for highly transparent triboelectric nanogenerator

Cheng

Miao

et al. 2017

Microsyst Nanoeng

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In this paper, we report a novel nanoscale wrinkle-structure fabrication process using fluorocarbon plasma on poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and Solaris membranes. Wrinkles with wavelengths of hundreds of nanometers were obtained on these two materials, showing that the fabrication process was universally applicable. By varying the plasma-treating time, the wavelength of the wrinkle structure could be controlled. Highly transparent membranes with wrinkle patterns were obtained when the plasmatreating time was o 125 s. The transmittances of these membranes were 490% in the visible region, making it difficult to distinguish them from a flat membrane. The deposited fluorocarbon polymer also dramatically reduced the surface energy, which allowed us to replicate the wrinkle pattern with high precision onto other membranes without any surfactant coating. The combined advantages of high electron affinity and high transparency enabled the fabricated membrane to improve the performance of a triboelectric nanogenerator. This nanoscale, single-step, and universal wrinkle-pattern fabrication process, with the functionality of high transparency and ultra-low surface energy, shows an attractive potential for future applications in microand nanodevices, especially in transparent energy harvesters. INTRODUCTIONPatterned surface structures on the nano-or micrometer scale have a significant role in the properties of a material, including physical, mechanical, electrical, and optical 1 . The fabrication process for these patterns has been traditionally realized by photolithography, printing processes, embossing, or writing techniques, of which the relatively high cost and low throughput limit their application for producing complex topologies over large areas. Thereby, selfassembled patterns for large-area patterning, which generally employ physical-chemical or mechanical instabilities within a constrained system to form highly ordered structures, have attracted great attention for many years 2-7 . Among these methods, mechanically inducing a wrinkle structure on a bilayer system is especially suited to creating highly ordered microstructures across a large surface and features convenient fabrication and a tunable wavelength by adjusting the thickness of the stiff layer and the prestrain [8][9][10][11][12] . As a result, wrinkle structures have been used in various applications, such as smart adhesion, liquid/cell shaping, particle assembly, optical surfaces, flexible electronic devices, and energy harvesters [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] . To date, most studies involving wrinkling to create ordered structures rely on plasma or ultraviolet-ozonolysis (UVO) oxidation and metal deposition to create the stiff skin. Although these approaches are quite practical, the material properties of the substrate during oxidation can significantly alter the typical morphologies and even block the formation of the wrinkle structure (that is, the process does not have universality to different materials), whereas the deposition of the metal la...

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Flexible triboelectric generator

Cited by 5,082 publications

References 22 publications

Transparent Triboelectric Nanogenerators and Self-Powered Pressure Sensors Based on Micropatterned Plastic Films

Transparent Triboelectric Nanogenerators and Self-Powered Pressure Sensors Based on Micropatterned Plastic Films

In Situ Quantitative Study of Nanoscale Triboelectrification and Patterning

Controlled fabrication of nanoscale wrinkle structure by fluorocarbon plasma for highly transparent triboelectric nanogenerator

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