Scalable and enhanced triboelectric output power generation by surface functionalized nanoimprint patterns.

We report nanoimprint lithographic submicron surface patterning for scalable output power generation and performance enhancement in triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). Specifically, one contact surface of a TENG is nanoimprinted with polyurethane acrylate (PUA) lines in different pitches and the counter contact surface is coated with perfluoropolyether (PFPE). The results show that a TENG with 200 nm pitch PUA lines exhibits voltage and current up to ∼430 V and ∼55 μA cm(-2), generating about a sixfold higher output power than that with a flat PUA surface at an applied force of 0.3 MPa. In addition, scalable output power was obtained by adjusting line pitches. Further enhancement in output power was also demonstrated by chemically functionalizing the PUA line patterns with poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA). The PDDA functionalization boosted voltage and current up to ∼500 V and ∼100 μA cm(-2), respectively, which corresponds to ∼50% power density enhancement. The approach introduced here is a simple, effective, scalable and reproducible way to fabricate TENGs.