Micro-Crater Grooved Polyvinylchloride Triboelectric Device for Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Tactile Sensing

We introduce a highly efficient mechanical energy harvesting device based on single-electrode micro-crater grooved polyvinylchloride (PVC) triboelectric nanogenerators (MCGP TENG). This innovative system exhibits remarkable electrical performance, achieving open-circuit voltages up to 1094 V and short-circuit currents of <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$98\ \mu \mathrm{A}$</tex>, along with a maximum output power density of 28.7 W/m<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup>. The MCGP TENG is capable of powering up to 500 light-emitting diodes (LEDs) through simple hand-tapping motions, underscoring its practical energy harvesting capability. Beyond power generation, the device also offers significant potential for self-powered tactile sensing, making it a promising platform for applications in wearable electronics, human-machine interfaces, and next-generation healthcare monitoring systems.