Charge-excited enhanced piezoelectric-triboelectric hybrid nanogenerator for high-efficiency energy harvesting and applications

Triboelectric Nanogenerator (TENG) is an energy-harvesting device based on the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction, capable of extracting energy from the environment. It offers advantages such as a simple device structure, sustainability, and high efficiency in harvesting low-frequency mechanical energy. To address the low output charge density of traditional piezoelectric-triboelectric hybrid nanogenerator (PT-NG), this study proposes a charge excitation-enhanced PT-NG for improved performance. This innovative design enhances output performance by optimizing charge accumulation and transfer processes, enabling efficient energy capture even in weak vibration environments. In this study, silk fibroin film was prepared via electrospinning as the positive triboelectric layer, while a bead-like P-PVDF/MoS₂ composite film served as the negative triboelectric layer. Leveraging the triboelectric series difference and interfacial effects, these two functional films were assembled to successfully construct a PT-NG. However, low output charge density limits its practical application. To enhance the triboelectric output, a charge excitation-enhanced PT-NG was proposed. Experimental results demonstrated that, under working conditions of 2 Hz frequency and 3 N mechanical force, the voltage output reached 35 V under excitation, the excited current output was 3 μA, and the peak instantaneous power density reached 1 W/m². Even under weak vibrations, the device achieved high power output, with the current increasing by 50 % compared to the non-excited PT-NG. Additionally, the potential applications of this device were systematically explored, including powering electronic devices, environmental energy harvesting, and wireless alarm systems, providing a novel technological pathway for the development of self-powered systems. This integrated strategy significantly enhances energy conversion efficiency for self-powered systems.