High performance triboelectric generator using high dielectric constant poly(vinylidene fluoride)-barium titanate composite

We present a type of high performance contact-separation mode triboelectric generators (TEG). The TEGs consist of a poly(vinylidene fluoride) composite with embedded barium titanate nanomaterial (PVDF-BaTiO3) and polyamide-6 (PA6). Additional BaTiO3 nanomaterial in the PVDF increase the relative permittivity and piezoelectric effect, thus enhance the performance of the TEGs. Owing to the increased energy storage capability, the PVDF-BaTiO3/PA6 TEG demonstrates a significantly higher voltage of 1040 V and charge density of 17.2 μC/m², as compared to 440 V and 13.2 μC/m² of the PVDF-PA6 TEG. The improvement in performance of the TEGs is attributed to not only the enhanced polarization of composite, but also the increased relative permittivity.