Continuously harvesting energy from water and wind by pulsed triboelectric nanogenerator for self-powered seawater electrolysis

Due to deterioration of the environment and energy crises, exploring clean and renewable energy from ambient surroundings has become one of the most urgent concerns in our society. Herein, we report a pulsed cylindrical triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) particles. The as-designed TENG can harvest low-frequency mechanical energies from wind and water and convert them into electricity at low cost and high efficiency, which can not only lighten 475 green LED lamps in series, but also can be suitable for driving seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production. The constructed TENG based on the Maxwell's displacement current provides a model for further development of self-powered seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production. Graphical Abstract

Automated summary

The study introduces a pulsed cylindrical triboelectric nanogenerator based on PTFE particles, which can efficiently harvest low-frequency mechanical energies from wind and water at low cost and convert them into electricity, suitable for powering numerous LED lamps and driving seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production.