Spray-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator With Ultra-High Current for Hydrogen Generation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Energy Harvesting
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Solid-liquid triboelectric nanogenerators (SL-TENGs) show promise for blue energy but suffer from low, discontinuous output.
• Practical applications of SL-TENGs are hindered by their limited current and frequency performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-power output triboelectric nanogenerator for enhanced blue energy harvesting.
• To overcome the limitations of conventional SL-TENGs by introducing active charge control.

Main Methods:

• A spray-based TENG (S-TENG) incorporating a spark discharge device (SDD) was designed for active charge accumulation and controlled release.
• The S-TENG operates in an active, periodic spark-discharge regime, shifting from passive breakdown.

Main Results:

• The S-TENG achieved a breakthrough instantaneous short-circuit current of 665 mA and an open-circuit voltage of 900 V.
• Continuous operation at 122 Hz with over two orders of magnitude improvement in current and frequency compared to typical SL-TENGs.
• Directly powered a 110 W incandescent lamp and drove 4000 LEDs; enabled water electrolysis for hydrogen production with 55.8% efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The S-TENG pushes SL-TENG current output into the milliampere range, demonstrating significantly enhanced power density.
• Structural decoupling and active discharge regulation offer a new strategy for improving TENG performance.
• This technology paves the way for practical applications in marine energy harvesting and electrochemical synthesis.