Switchable Power Generation in Triboelectric Nanogenerator Toward Chip‐Less Wearable Power Module Applications

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Vol. 20; no. 31; pp. e2306980 - n/a
• Main Authors: Zhou, Jiaming, Ma, Xiaoting, Gao, Jingyi, Kim, Eunjong, Deng, Zihao, Rao, Qing, Li, Wen‐Di, Ki, Dong‐Keun, Shin, Dong‐Myeong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.08.2024
• Subjects: dielectric breakdown; Electric power generation; Electronics; energy harvesting; Nanogenerators; power management; triboelectric nanogenerators; wearable devices; Wearable technology; dielectric breakdown; triboelectric nanogenerators; energy harvesting; power management; wearable devices
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202306980

A conceptual shift toward next‐generation wearable electronics is driving research into self‐powered electronics technologies that can be independently operated without plugging into the grid for external power feeding. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are emerging as a key component of self‐powered electronics, but a power type mismatch between supply and demand limits their direct implementation into wearable self‐powered electronics. Here, a TENG with switchable power mode capability is reported where the charge flow direction is modulated over the course of slow and random mechanical stimuli, with exceptional rectification capabilities as high as ≈133, stable outputs over the cycles, and design flexibility in different platforms. Importantly, the remarkable switchable power generation with fabric counter materials illuminates a new path for the smooth integration of flexible TENGs into wearable self‐powered electronics. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) with a convertible rectification feature, in which the direction of the charge flow generated by TENGs is systematically controlled by electrostatic breakdown over the course of slow and random mechanical stimuli, is reported, paving the path for the development of all‐in‐one nanogenerators and the incorporation of nanogenerators into wearable self‐powered electronics in the near future.