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Triboelectricity Generation from Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Arrays
Moses Oguntoye1, Michael Johnson2, Lawrence Pratt1
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University , 6823 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States.
Abstract:
We explore the use of vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) arrays as an electrode in a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that harvests mechanical energy and converts it to electrical energy. When VACNT arrays 1 cm2 in area are mechanically contacted with PET and PTFE counter electrodes in vertical contact-separation mode, currents up to 0.16 and 0.21 μA and voltages up to 1.42 and 3.20 V are obtained, respectively. The VACNT TENG output remains stable even after more than 20 000 continuous contact cycles. A 0.47 μF capacitor is successfully charged to 4.5 V in 60 s using a VACNT-PTFE triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) prototype.
