High performance temperature difference triboelectric nanogenerator

• Published in: Nature communications 2021-08, Vol.12 (1), p.4782-4782, Article 4782
• Main Authors: Cheng, Bolang, Xu, Qi, Ding, Yaqin, Bai, Suo, Jia, Xiaofeng, Yu, Yangdianchen, Wen, Juan, Qin, Yong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 639/4077/4072/4062; 639/925/927/1007; Charge density; High temperature; High temperature environments; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Nanogenerators; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Surface charge; Temperature gradients; Thermionic emission
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25043-2

Usually, high temperature decreases the output performance of triboelectric nanogenerator because of the dissipation of triboelectric charges through the thermionic emission. Here, a temperature difference triboelectric nanogenerator is designed and fabricated to enhance the electrical output performance in high temperature environment. As the hotter friction layer’s temperature of nanogenerator is 0 K to 145 K higher than the cooler part’s temperature, the output voltage, current, surface charge density and output power are increased 2.7, 2.2, 3.0 and 2.9 times, respectively (from 315 V, 9.1 μA, 19.6 μC m −2 , 69 μW to 858 V, 20 μA, 58.8 μC m −2 , 206.7 μW). With the further increase of temperature difference from 145 K to 219 K, the surface charge density and output performance gradually decrease. At the optimal temperature difference (145 K), the largest output current density is 443 μA cm −2 , which is 26.6% larger than the reported record value (350 μA cm −2 ). High temperature usually decreases the output of triboelectric nanogenerator because of the increased dissipation of triboelectric charges. Here, the authors design and fabricate a temperature difference triboelectric nanogenerator to enhance the electrical output in high temperature environment.