Triboelectric nanogenerator based on silane-coupled LTA/PDMS for physiological monitoring and biomechanical energy harvesting

Energy harvesting from ambient sources present in the environment is essential to replace traditional energy sources. These strategies can diversify the energy sources, reduce maintenance, lower costs, and provide near-perpetual operation of the devices. In this work, a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on silane-coupled Linde type A/polydimethylsiloxane (LTA/PDMS) is developed for harsh environmental conditions. The silane-coupled LTA/PDMS-based TENG can produce a high output power density of 42.6 µW/cm² at a load resistance of 10 MΩ and operates at an open-circuit voltage of 120 V and a short-circuit current of 15 µA under a damping frequency of 14 Hz. Furthermore, the device shows ultra-robust and stable cyclic repeatability for more than 30 k cycles. The fabricated TENG is used for the physiological monitoring and charging of commercial capacitors to drive low-power electronic devices. Hence, these results suggest that the silane-coupled LTA/PDMS approach can be used to fabricate ultra-robust TENGs for harsh environmental conditions and also provides an effective path toward wearable self-powered microelectronic devices.