Liquid-Solid Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Bubble Energy Harvesting

Bubbles, widely distributed in nature and industry, have been extensively explored as important energy carriers. Despite notable progress, how to harvest the energy inherent in small bubbles remains a significant challenge. Herein, a bubble driven triboelectric nanogenerator (BD-TENG) that can scavenge energy directly and efficiently from bubbles is explored. The BD-TENG can generate sustained voltages of up to -120 V when small air bubbles rise in a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tube filled with deionized water. Furthermore, the effects of the tube diameter, electrode length, and bubble volume based on the harvest activity are also investigated. As a proof of concept, it is demonstrated that the BD-TENG can be utilized to illuminate four blue LEDs. Notably, the conclusion of this research work demonstrates an innovative roadmap for bubble energy harvesting in liquid media.

Automated summary

A bubble driven triboelectric nanogenerator (BD-TENG) is explored to efficiently scavenge energy directly from rising air bubbles in a PTFE tube filled with deionized water. The BD-TENG can generate sustained voltages of up to -120 V and has been demonstrated to illuminate blue LEDs. The innovative research work provides a roadmap for bubble energy harvesting in liquid media.