High-performance and long-cycle life of triboelectric nanogenerator using PVC/MoS2 composite membranes for wind energy scavenging application

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a new energy technology, which can effectively convert ambient various mechanical energy into electricity by coupling effect of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction, yielding self-powered microelectronic devices. However, the surface charge density of triboelectric materials and the performance degradation and failure of TENG caused by wear are the key bottlenecks for its practical application. Here, we propose a high-performance and long-life TENG for harvesting wind energy that uses polyvinyl chloride/molybdenum disulfide (PVC/MoS2) composite membranes and polyamide (PA) membranes as matching triboelectric materials, and aluminum (Al) sheets with micro-nano structures as electrodes. Adding a small amount of MoS2 with excellent lubricating properties can not only effectively increase the surface charge density of composite films but also improve its wear resistance, which enhances the output performance and extends the life time of the TENG. The optimized TENG can generate an output voltage, current and maximum power up to 398 V, 40 mu A and 1.23 mW, respectively, which can power tens of commercial light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a water thermometer. Moreover, the friction coefficient of PVC after the doping of 2.5 wt% MoS2 is 0.29, which is 19.4% lower than that of pure PVC film, providing a new way to improve the surface charge density and the durability of triboelectric materials.

Automated summary

A high-performance and long-life TENG for harvesting wind energy is proposed using PVC/MoS2 composite membranes and PA membranes as matching triboelectric materials, and Al sheets with micro-nano structures as electrodes. The optimized TENG can generate an output voltage, current and maximum power up to 398 V, 40 mu A and 1.23 mW, respectively, which can power tens of commercial LEDs and a water thermometer. Adding a small amount of MoS2 with excellent lubricating properties can increase the surface charge density and improve wear resistance of the composite films.