Ag Nanoparticle-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator To Scavenge Wind Energy for a Self-Charging Power Unit

Li-ion batteries are a green energy storage technology with advantages of high energy density, long lifetime, and sustainability, but they cannot generate electric energy by themselves. As a novel energy-harvesting technology, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are a promising power source for supplying electronic devices, however it is difficult to directly use their high output voltage and low output current. Here, we designed a Ag nanoparticle-based TENG for scavenging wind energy. After including a transformer and a power management circuit into the system, constant output voltages such as 3.6 V and a pulsed current of about 100 mA can be obtained, which can be used to directly light up a light-emitting diode. Furthermore, the produced electric energy can be effectively stored in a WO₃/LiMn₂O₄ electrode based Li-ion battery. Our present work provides a new approach to effectively scavenge wind energy and store the obtained electric energy, which is significant for exploring self-charging power units.