Triboelectric Charging at the Nanostructured Solid/Liquid Interface for Area-Scalable Wave Energy Conversion and Its Use in Corrosion Protection

Abstract

We report a flexible and area-scalable energy-harvesting technique for converting kinetic wave energy. Triboelectrification as a result of direct interaction between a dynamic wave and a large-area nanostructured solid surface produces an induced current among an array of electrodes. An integration method ensures that the induced current between any pair of electrodes can be constructively added up, which enables significant enhancement in output power and realizes area-scalable integration of electrode arrays. Internal and external factors that affect the electric output are comprehensively discussed. The produced electricity not only drives small electronics but also achieves effective impressed current cathodic protection. This type of thin-film-based device is a potentially practical solution of on-site sustained power supply at either coastal or off-shore sites wherever a dynamic wave is available. Potential applications include corrosion protection, pollution degradation, water desalination, and wireless sensing for marine surveillance.

Biocide‐Free Antifouling on Insulating Surface by Wave‐Driven Triboelectrification‐Induced Potential Oscillation

“…The other component that is half‐submerged in the water is an I‐TEWH. As illustrated in Figure e, the I‐TEWH has a 2D structure . An array of strip‐shaped electrodes is fabricated on a thin‐film flexible polyethylene glycol terephthalate (PET) substrate.…”

“…The use of electrostatic induction as a result of varying electric potential for antifouling purpose is proposed for the first time. Based on the triboelectrification at the solid–liquid interface, the I‐TEWH converts the dynamic mechanical energy of the water wave into electricity . It periodically pumps excessive free electrons onto a conducting layer underneath a protected surface.…”

Conducting polymer PPy nanowire-based triboelectric nanogenerator and its application for self-powered electrochemical cathodic protection

“…41–43 As a new potential application, it has been also introduced in the cathodic protection system for protecting metals from corrosion, 15,44,45 which is a common phenomenon and results in huge economic losses and security risks in modern society. 46,47 Remarkably, the TENG could harvest available energies from the ambient environment, such as wave energy, mechanical energy, wind and rain drops, to form a self-powered impressed current cathodic protection system.…”

A nanowire based triboelectric nanogenerator for harvesting water wave energy and its applications

“…Therefore the output of the TENG is magnificently increased. 15 Then, an output current of 10 µA and a voltage of about 200 V are generated by the nanowire based TENG (a contact area of 30 cm 2 ). Due to the sufficient friction, the transferred charge of the submerging or emerging process can reach 200 nC, which is much higher than our previous reports.…”