Triboelectric nanogenerator using nano-Ag ink as electrode material

Harvest energy from our environment for driving small electronics is an effective and practically applicable technology. Here, we demonstrated a simple, cost-effective arch-shaped triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which is fabricated by utilizing the triboelectric effect and related electrostatic induction between a biodegradable metal foil and a polymer sheet, with bactericidal nano-Ag ink painted on its top as electrode. The power generation mechanism and the electric output of the TENG were studied and illustrated. The instantaneous output voltage and current density of such a flexible TENG can reach as high as similar to 160V and 6.6 mu A/cm(2). Based on these characteristics of the TENG, it is anticipated that the TENG comprised of a biodegradable metal foil and a bactericidal Ag film has potential application in biomedical field to drive small biomedical devices possibly in-vivo. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.