Stretchable thin-film generator with dual working modes for body motion energy harvesting

This work reports a novel stretchable thin-film generator based on electrification for effectively harvesting body motion energy. It has two working modes, the folding mode and the contact-separation (C-S) mode, under the same circuit connection. Electrospinning PU nanofibers are employed to integrate electrodes, making it not only flexible but also highly stretchable up to 100%. Micro-patterned PDMS is employed to increase the contact area of the friction layer, which contributes a higher surface charge density. Due to its paired electrode structure design, the instantaneous peak power density of the two electrode device can be improved to 336.4 μW/cm
²
. The film structure makes the device very convenient be attached onto cloth or skin as a wearable energy harvester or self-powered e-skin.