Bioinspired Triboelectric Nanogenerator with High Humidity Resistance through Dual-Sized Morphology Construction

Abstract

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) exhibit significant potential for wireless sensor networks and portable power supplies due to their unique ability to convert environmental mechanical energy into electrical energy. Addressing the challenge of reduced TENG output performance in high-humidity environments, this study presents a lotus leaf-inspired poly(dimethylsiloxane) bionic triboelectric layer (PBTL) fabricated using poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) molds processed by femtosecond laser and one-step templating. TENGs incorporating PBTLs exhibit significantly enhanced electrical output performance compared to those with flat surfaces by reducing the microstructural diameter, increasing the surface density, and raising the aspect ratio. Among the configurations tested, PBTL1 demonstrates optimal performance, achieving a short-circuit current of 2.15 μA, transferred charges of 15.16 nC, and an open-circuit voltage of 48.62 V─an improvement of 2.14 times over a flat layer. Furthermore, fluorination of the PBTL1 surface results in a superhydrophobic state with a water contact angle of 150.6°, maintaining 80% of its original output performance in a 90% high-humidity environment compared to only 30% for the flat layer. These findings suggest that the proposed methodology offers a straightforward and effective approach to designing high-performance and high-stability TENGs, leveraging the superior properties of micro-nanostructured PBTLs.