Polymer nanocomposite-enabled high-performance triboelectric nanogenerator with self-healing capability

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Energy Harvesting

Background:

• Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) efficiently harvest low-frequency environmental vibrations.
• Polymer-based TENGs suffer from mechanical damage, limiting their operational lifespan and performance.
• Developing robust and self-healing TENGs is crucial for practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a high-performance, flexible self-healing triboelectric nanogenerator (SH-TENG).
• To demonstrate reproducible self-healing electronic characteristics in TENG devices.
• To enhance the durability and reliability of TENGs for energy harvesting.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of SH-TENG using soft and flexible polymers.
• Semi-embedding high-conductance silver nanowires (AgNWs) into polymer friction layers.
• Testing the self-healing capability through repeated cutting and healing cycles.

Main Results:

• The SH-TENG achieved a peak power of 2.5 W m^-2 and triboelectric charge density of ~100 μC m^-2.
• Healed devices retained up to 99% of their original output voltage and current after five cycles.
• Demonstrated excellent stability and flexibility of the fabricated SH-TENG.

Conclusions:

• The developed SH-TENG exhibits reproducible self-healing properties, significantly improving device longevity.
• The integration of AgNWs enhances both self-healing and energy harvesting performance.
• This work represents a significant advancement in creating reliable, low-maintenance TENGs for sustainable energy solutions.