2024 | Karem Lozano Montero, Remmi Calvo Guzman, Amit Tewari, Haiyang Zou, Zhong Lin Wang, Matti Mäntysalo, and Mika-Matti Laurila
This study presents a novel strategy to fabricate a fully printed triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on polyvinylidene fluorid-ethylfluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) porous aerogel. The research combines freeze-casting, freeze-drying, and printing technologies to enhance the stretchability and energy harvesting capabilities of the material. The effects of porosity and poling on the mechanical, ferroelectric, and triboelectric properties of P(VDF-TrFE) are investigated, demonstrating that structural modification significantly improves stretchability from 7.7% to 66.4%. The non-poled P(VDF-TrFE) porous aerogel exhibits a 60% to 70% improvement in triboelectric charge generation compared to solid P(VDF-TrFE) films. A fully printed TENG device is demonstrated using stretchable materials, achieving a peak power of 62.8 mW m⁻² and an average power of 9.9 mW m⁻² over 100 tapping cycles at 0.75 Hz. This device can illuminate LEDs through the harvesting of mechanical energy from human motion, showcasing its potential for powering low-energy electronics. The study provides significant advancements in the development of energy harvesting devices, particularly for wearable applications.This study presents a novel strategy to fabricate a fully printed triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on polyvinylidene fluorid-ethylfluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) porous aerogel. The research combines freeze-casting, freeze-drying, and printing technologies to enhance the stretchability and energy harvesting capabilities of the material. The effects of porosity and poling on the mechanical, ferroelectric, and triboelectric properties of P(VDF-TrFE) are investigated, demonstrating that structural modification significantly improves stretchability from 7.7% to 66.4%. The non-poled P(VDF-TrFE) porous aerogel exhibits a 60% to 70% improvement in triboelectric charge generation compared to solid P(VDF-TrFE) films. A fully printed TENG device is demonstrated using stretchable materials, achieving a peak power of 62.8 mW m⁻² and an average power of 9.9 mW m⁻² over 100 tapping cycles at 0.75 Hz. This device can illuminate LEDs through the harvesting of mechanical energy from human motion, showcasing its potential for powering low-energy electronics. The study provides significant advancements in the development of energy harvesting devices, particularly for wearable applications.