Universal Energy Solution for Triboelectric Sensors Toward the 5G Era and Internet of Things

Keplerate-Type Polyoxometalates-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Higher Performance via the Morphology Modulation of Blackberry Structure

The tribe-material is the key factor affecting the performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). Inorganic materials have higher heat resistance and stability than widely used organic materials. However, the weaker tribe-property limits the application of TENGs. Modulating surface roughness by changing particle shape and size is a simple way to increase performance for TENGs. Polyoxometalates (POMs) have unrivalled structural diversity and can self-assemble to form different nanostructures. In this study, we propose [{(NH4)42[Mo72 VIMo60 VO372(CH3COO)30 (H2O)72] ⋅ ca.300H2O ⋅ ca.CH3COONH4)}-Mo132] and [{Na8K14(VO)2[{(MoVI) (Mo5 VIO21)(H2O)3]}10{(MoVI)Mo5 VIO21(H2O)3 (SO4)}2{VIVO(H2O)20} {VIVO}10({KSO4}5)2] ⋅ 150H2O)}-Mo72V30] with blackberry structure which are cured and prepared into film by spin-coating technique, are used as positive tribe-materials for the first time in the field of TENGs. Keplerate-type POMs can form blackberry structures with higher dispersibility and flexibility, which can be used to control surface roughness by regulating the size of particles. The discovery proves that the particle size influences the surface roughness, which adjusts the output of TENGs. According to our findings, Mo132-h-TENG generates an output voltage of 29.3 V, an output charge of 8 Nc, which is 2-3 folds higher than Mo132-TENG, and a maximum power density of 6.25 mW ⋅ m-2 at 300 MΩ. Our research provides that altering the dimensional size can be an available way to raise the output of TENGs.

High-Durability Stacked Disc-Type Rolling Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Environmental Monitoring Around Charging Buoys of Unmanned Ships

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) as a means of energy harvesting can effectively harvest ocean wave energy, but the energy conversion efficiency and stability of the device during long-term operations are still problems that must be solved for TENGs. Decreasing the frictional resistance between two triboelectric material surfaces is one of the critical approaches for improving the device efficiency and durability. In this work, a novel stacked disc-type rolling triboelectric nanogenerator (SDR-TENG) is designed and fabricated for low-frequency water wave energy harvesting. After 860 000 working cycles, the electrical output attenuation of the SDR-TENG basic unit is less than 5%, showing excellent device durability. Under the simulated water wave conditions, the SDR-TENG with four rolling TENG units can produce an output current of 84.4 µA and an output power of 7.6 mW, corresponding to an effective power density of 16.8 W m-3. This work not only proposes a strategy to effectively enhance the durability of the devices, but also provides a feasible solution for monitoring the surrounding environment of the charging buoys of unmanned ships.