Scalable fabrication of black Cu-embedded polydimethylsiloxane for enhancing triboelectric nanogenerator performance in energy harvesting and self-powered sensing

Abstract

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are widely used in self-powered electronic devices and tactile sensors. Herein, for the first time, the facile, low-cost, and universal electroless deposition (ELD) technology is used to fabricate nonconductive black Cu to enhance the electrical output performance and sensitivities of TENG-based tactile sensor. The output performance and sensitivities of the equipment are significantly improved by the introduction of black Cu nanoparticles (NPs) coated cellulose filter paper (CFP) into the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. With an optimal load of black Cu NPs, the composite film-based TENG produces the highest surface charge density exhibited by high sensitivities of 1.56 V N−1, 3.5 times of that obtained via PDMS-based TENG under the same conditions. These properties facilitate the developed device to be competent at monitoring a kind of human movements, such as finger touching and bending. The proposed strategy not only demonstrates a promising potential of developing large-scale practical self-charging equipment and improving the output performance and sensitivities of TENG based tactile sensors but also provides a new perspective for applications in other fields.