Evaluation of the Electrical Performance of Single-Electrode Mode Triboelectric Nanogenerators Based on Different Conductor Materials

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have received a lot of interest in recent years as a potential solution to the global energy issue, due to their ability to efficiently convert various types of mechanical energy from the environment into usable electrical energy. Compared to the traditional energy harvesting methods, triboelectric nanogenerators offer advantages for self-powered devices. This study investigates the electrical performance of triboelectric nanogenerators in single-electrode mode (SE-TENGs) with different conductor materials, including copper and aluminum with fixed dielectric material. The operating mechanism of the fabricated TENGs is based on contact and separation by manual hand tapping. The selected materials are assessed based on performance criteria such as output voltage, current, output power density, cost, and environmental impact. The output voltage and current were measured using the digital multimeter and oscilloscope with a frequency oscillation of 2 Hz. As a result, the PTFE configuration with the copper foil was able to generate a high voltage of up to 78.8 V and a current of 1.2 µA. The results show that the choice of conductor materials can be used effectively in various applications, from wearable electronics to large-scale energy harvesting, and providing a balanced approach to performance and economic feasibility. These findings provide valuable insights for the optimization and design of triboelectric nanogenerators in energy harvesting applications.