Novel high-performance self-powered humidity detection enabled by triboelectric effect

In this work, a fundamental new approach for humidity detection was proposed. By coupling triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) with resistive humidity sensor, the degree of ambient moisture can be actively detected at room temperature, where the voltage drops across the interdigital electrodes (IDEs) has a reversely proportional relationship with relative humidity. The prepared self-powered triboelectric humidity sensor (THS) holds high humidity response of similar to 7, fast response/recovery time of 2.8 s and 3.5 s, stable repeatability and excellent long term stability. With respect to selectivity, the response of THS to gaseous water was at least 2-fold higher than those for other gases. Furthermore, through a signal processing circuit, a self-powered humidity alert system was developed for real-time monitoring the ambient humidity. Finally, the underlying working principle of the proposed sensor was discussed in detail. This research not only provides a simple, low-cost and efficient means in humidity sensing but also greatly broadens the applicability of TENGs as self-powered active sensors. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.