Superhydrophobic Water-Solid Contact Triboelectric Generator by Simple Spray-On Fabrication Method

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Energy Harvesting
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Energy harvesting is crucial for powering sensors and electronics.
• Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) convert mechanical energy into electricity via contact electrification.
• Liquid-solid contact TENGs offer advantages over solid-solid TENGs by mitigating wear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple and scalable fabrication method for liquid-solid contact TENGs.
• To investigate the effect of coating processes on the performance of sprayed superhydrophobic surfaces.
• To demonstrate the applicability of the technique on complex 3D surfaces.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces using a commercial aerosol hydrophobic spray.
• Measurement of open-circuit voltage based on the number of coating processes.
• Demonstration of TENG fabrication on a cap's brim with a complex surface structure.

Main Results:

• Superhydrophobic surfaces with contact angles over 160° were easily fabricated.
• The number of coating processes influenced the open-circuit voltage output.
• Successful fabrication of a liquid-solid contact TENG on a 3D surface was achieved.

Conclusions:

• Spray-on superhydrophobic surfaces offer a simple and effective approach for liquid-solid contact TENG fabrication.
• This method holds potential for the mass production and commercialization of TENGs.
• The technique demonstrates versatility for application on various surface topographies.