Flexoelectrically augmented triboelectrification enabled self-power wireless smart home control system

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, smart home has emerged to fulfill the security, convenience, and energy-saving issues of modern life. Self-power, multifunctional, and sensitive sensors are one of the key components for the popularization of smart home systems. Herein, a flexoelectric mica crystal is shown to augment the finger touch-driven triboelectric output enough to operate a wireless and multichannel smart home controller. The smart home controller consists of concave mica films, a hand-grip-type vertical mouse, and an Arduino controller. Strain-gradient-dependent contact potential difference measurement and density functional theory calculation show that flexoelectric charge shifts the workfunction and concave bending reduces the effective electron mass in a mica. A portable hand-grip-type flexoelectrically augmented triboelectric nanogenerator (Flexo-TENG) demonstrates the wireless communication of message in real time and the selective operation of home appliances with various functions via a simple finger touch. This work provides important ingredients for the enhanced triboelectric output via flexoelectricity, and for the realization of a convenient, multifunctional, cost-effective, and adaptable smart home control system without batteries.

Automated summary

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, smart home has emerged to fulfill the security, convenience, and energy-saving issues of modern life. A flexoelectric mica crystal is used to augment the finger touch-driven triboelectric output for operating a wireless and multichannel smart home controller. This work provides important ingredients for enhancing triboelectric output and realizing a convenient, multifunctional, cost-effective, and adaptable smart home control system without batteries.