Air-gap embedded triboelectric nanogenerator via surface modification of non-contact layer using sandpapers.

With the increased number of small electronics and demand for their energy source, renewable energy sources have received much attention. Above all, a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on the combination of contact electrification and electrostatic induction has been researched as a method of converting mechanical energy into electricity. In order to increase the electrical output of TENGs with raising the surface charge density, a lot of researchers have focused on the fabrication methods to employ micro-/nano-structures onto a contact surface of the TENG, but have been facing several issues regarding the degradation of the output performance from the iterative operation process. Hence, it is highly required to introduce an approach to enhancing the performance of TENG, while minimally degrading the output power during the long-term operation. In this paper, an air-gap embedded TENG (AE-TENG), which contains a microstructure on the non-contact surface by means of a sandpaper, is proposed. These small air-gaps between the spin-coated polydimethylsiloxane and the non-contact surface can significantly boost the total surface charge density of the dielectric layer. Thus, the electrical output performance of the AE-TENG is enhanced without any surface engineering on the contact surface. Furthermore, the effect of the air-gap induced surface charges on the electric potential is systematically analyzed by not only experimentally electrical outputs, but theoretical and computational modeling based on the V-Q-x relationship and simulation software tool. This air-gap induced triboelectric effect opens a new perspective of the development of electrical outputs by providing a structural/theoretical understanding for TENGs.