Electrically Responsive Materials and Devices Directly Driven by the High Voltage of Triboelectric Nanogenerators

• Published in: Advanced functional materials Vol. 29; no. 41
• Main Authors: Nie, Jinhui, Chen, Xiangyu, Wang, Zhong Lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2019
• Subjects: Devices; Elastomers; Electric power generation; electrically responsive materials; electrostatic devices; Ferroelectric materials; Ferroelectricity; Field emission; Mass spectrometers; Materials science; Microfluidics; Nanogenerators; Open circuit voltage; Piezoelectricity; self‐powered functional systems; Smart materials; Spectrometers; Storage systems; System effectiveness; triboelectric nanogenerators
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201806351

Smart materials with electrically responsive characteristics and devices relying on different electrostatic effects can be directly driven by triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). The open circuit voltage from a TENG can easily reach thousands of volts with a separation distance of a few millimeters and this high output voltage can be used to effectively drive or control some devices with high internal resistance. This kind of combination is the most straightforward way for achieving a self‐powered smart system. Hence, a detailed survey of electrically responsive materials and devices that can be successfully combined with TENG is summarized, including dielectric elastomers, piezoelectric materials, ferroelectric materials, electrostatic manipulators, electrostatic air cleaners, and field emission and mass spectrometers. Moreover, key factors in determining suitable materials or devices to work with TENG are clarified and an in‐depth discussion of the current challenges related to these combined systems is provided. With the cost‐effectiveness and simple manufacturing process, these TENG‐based composite systems have great application prospects in the field of smart mechanics, human–machine interaction systems, intelligent storage systems, self‐powered microfluidic chips, portable mass spectrometers, and so on. Smart materials with electrically responsive characteristics and devices relying on different electrostatic effects can be directly driven by triboelectric nanogenerators, and this kind of combination is the most straightforward way for achieving a self‐powered smart system. With the performance of high voltage and low current/charge, triboelectric nanogenerators are ideal power sources for these systems.