Enhancing Performance of Triboelectric Nanogenerator via Surface Structure Coupling by Light-Cured 3-D Printing

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) possesses great potential for applications in distributed energy supply and self-powered sensing due to high-power density, low cost, and simple preparation process. Since the output performance of TENG is directly related to its surface charge density, much work has been devoted to the preparation of micro–nano structures on the surface of the friction layer to increase its effective contact area, which usually obtains excellent output performance. However, these preparation methods are generally extremely complex or require expensive equipment, and the prepared micro–nano structures are extremely susceptible to damage. In this article, a method to prepare a TENG with a fully coupled surface structure is proposed for the first time. The ultraviolet curable resin layer with a special structure and the ecoflex layer with a corresponding structure were prepared by light-cured 3-D printing and template method, which transforms the traditional surface friction into body friction. The surface structure coupling effect achieves a significant improvement in the output performance of the TENG. At the same time, this preparation method can also be used to improve the measuring sensitivity of the triboelectric nanogenerator as a pressure sensor.