All-Nanofiber-Based\nUltralight Stretchable Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Self-Powered\nWearable Electronics

Abstract

The\nflexible and stretchable electronics have been considered as next-generation\nelectronics. Stretchable triboelectric nanogenerators (S-TENGs) with\nboth multifunction and comfort have become a hot field of research\nfor wearable electronic devices recently. Here, we designed an all-nanofiber-based,\nultralight, S-TENG that could be softly attached on skins for motion\nenergy harvesting and self-powered biomechanical monitoring. The S-TENG\nconsisted of only two nanofiber membranes: a polyvinylidene fluoride\nnanofiber membrane (PVDFNM) supported by thermoplastic polyurethane\nnanofiber membrane (TPUNM) was used as the frictional layer, and a\nmultiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) conductive material screen-printed\non the TPUNM was used as the electrode layer. Due to the excellent\nstretchability of TPUNM, the S-TENG could generate electricity under\nvarious types of deformation, and regains its original performance\nafter intense mechanical extension, even if it is partially cut or\ndamaged. Owing to the great electronegativity of PVDFNM, the device\ngenerated a maximum voltage of 225 V and a current of 4.5 μA\nwith an electrode area of 6 × 1 cm². The S-TENG has\ngreat potential applications in self-powered wearable devices, electronic\nskins, and smart sensor networks.