Skeleton Enhanced Dispersed Lubricant Particle Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Droplet Energy Harvesting

Liquid-solid triboelectric nanogenerators (LS-TENGs) can be widely utilized for droplet energy harvesting, in which slippery modification of triboelectric layer is crucial for output enhancement. However, classical slippery lubricant-infused surfaces suffer from the blocked triboelectric effect and the poor durability. Herein, a controllable phase separation method is reported to disperse skeleton-enhanced lubricant particles on triboelectric layer, leading to the development of a stretchable slippery triboelectric nanogenerator (SS-TENG) based on a modified slippery triboelectric layer and a liquid metal electrode. The dispersed lubricant particles (DLPs) ensure triboelectric effect between droplet and triboelectric layer, in addition to improving energy harvesting and charge transfer efficiencies. As a result, the open circuit voltage significantly increases from 0.9 to 14.4 V, with a transfer charge density of 6.95 × 10^-3 C m^-2 L^-1. The embedded skeleton within lubricant particle significantly improves the durability of triboelectric layer, ensuring nearly no decline in output performance of SS-TENG during long-term operation. Furthermore, the SS-TENG exhibits stable output even under 300% stretching, as the DLPs remain firmly anchored to triboelectric layer during deformation. Owing to its excellent triboelectric performance, durability, and flexibility, the SS-TENG can be integrated into various objects to harvest raindrop energy and power electronic devices.