High-Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerator with a Rationally Designed Friction Layer Structure

For a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), its output performance is largely determined by the quantity of triboelectric charge generated on the friction layer during the triboelectrification process. In this paper, we developed a new TENG by designing a three-layered composite structure (TLCS) for the positive friction layer. The TLCS was formed by stacking, from the outermost to the bottom, a charge collection sublayer (CCL), charge transport sublayer (CTL), and charge storage and barrier sublayer (CSBL). The CCL was used for robbing positive charges effectively from the negative friction layer. The CTL was used to transport the generated triboelectric charge deeper inside. The CSBL was used for holding more charges. By fabrication of TLCSs on both the positive and negative friction layers, the total triboelectric charge density increases from 0.97 to 16 nC/cm2, which greatly enhances the performance of the triboelectric nanogenerator.