Electrical performance of water drop energy harvesting device using modified MXene-coated triboelectric nanogenerators

Abstract

Abstract Nanogenerators have emerged as promising technologies for sustainable energy harvesting, with water-drop triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) showing great potential for operation in water-based environments. However, their energy output remains relatively limited. This study explores the incorporation of alkylammonium-treated MXene as a coating material to enhance the performance of water-drop TENGs. MXene was mixed with PTFE (60 wt% dispersion in H 2 O) to form PTFE/MXene composite solutions with concentrations of 0.01 wt%, 0.05 wt%, and 0.1 wt%. The coatings were applied onto PTFE substrates using the spin-coating method to ensure uniform deposition. Characterization was performed using FTIR, XRD, FESEM, water contact angle (WCA) analysis, and triboelectric performance testing. The results demonstrated that MXene-enhanced coatings significantly improved voltage, current, and power generation compared with uncoated devices. Among all compositions, the 0.01 wt% MXene coating achieved the highest performance, with an average voltage of 14.2 V, current of 20.2 μA, and power of 4.56 μW. The 0.01 wt% MXene-coated device also exhibited excellent durability and stability, maintaining its output after two hours of continuous operation. These findings confirm that MXene incorporation effectively enhances TENG performance and highlight the role of material composition in determining energy output, contributing to the advancement of sustainable triboelectric energy-harvesting technologies.