Boosting Output Performance of Triboelectric Nanogenerator via Interface Self-Regulation Strategy

Area of Science:

• Energy Harvesting
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Long-term durability is a major challenge for triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs).
• Existing methods to improve durability often reduce electrical performance.
• Charge self-excitation methods can improve output but increase circuit complexity and do not address material wear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a self-regulation strategy for TENGs that enhances both durability and electrical performance.
• To address the limitations of current TENG enhancement methods.
• To enable adaptive micro-sliding and deformation of triboelectric materials.

Main Methods:

• A self-regulation strategy was proposed, controlling interface contact state and force.
• The approach combined sliding and contact-separation configurations.
• Adaptive micro-sliding and deformation under minimal normal pressure were enabled.

Main Results:

• The self-regulating TENG showed a 72.5-fold reduction in frictional force and a 13-fold increase in energy output.
• A wireless self-powered sensing system achieved a power density of 242.4 mW/m² under water flow.
• The system retained 97.6% of its initial output after 10 hours of continuous operation.

Conclusions:

• The proposed self-regulation strategy offers a universal method to improve TENG electrical performance and durability.
• The approach ensures stable dynamic interfacial contact, enhancing charge transfer efficiency.
• The demonstrated wireless self-powered sensing system confirms the practical feasibility and broad applicability of the TENG enhancement method.