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Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Construction and Operation of a Light-driven Gold Nanorod Rotary Motor System
Published on: June 30, 2018
Concurrently Achieving 4.6 W/M2 and 120,000 Cyclability Enabled by Extendable Swing Arms in Rotational Triboelectric
Yihong Lin1, Jiaming Zhou1, In-Yong Suh2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, 999077, China.
Abstract:
Rotational triboelectric nanogenerators (r-TENGs) are promising candidates for powering Internet of Things devices, owing to their ability to convert continuous mechanical motion into electricity. Nevertheless, improving their electrical output often comes at the cost of increased frictional degradation, which limits overall energy-conversion efficiency and long-term durability. Here, we introduce a novel r-TENG to reconcile the intrinsic trade-off between contact sufficiency and frictional dissipation. By inducing a hybrid kinematic profile, characterized by synchronized sliding and bouncing of fluorinated ethylene propylene blades, the device activates an auxiliary charge-feeding mechanism while simultaneously mitigating wear. Experimental validation reveals that this configuration significantly enhances power density by 27% compared to constant-length counterparts, achieving a root-mean-square voltage of ∼1.8 kV and a remarkable energy conversion figure of merit of 130.1 µC2 mN-1 m-5. Furthermore, we demonstrate the practical utility of this system through a self-powered, indoor wind-driven microbial disinfection platform. Utilizing the harvested energy to drive a Cu3P nanowire-modified filter, the system achieves over 99.99% inactivation efficacy against both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis via an irreversible electroporation mechanism. These findings underscore the potential of the extendable swing arm r-TENG as a sustainable, dual-function solution for ubiquitous energy harvesting and airborne pathogen control in indoor environments.
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