Sandwich as a triboelectric nanogenerator

Abstract For the past few years, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have been demonstrated as an unprecedented method as self-powered, power generation and blue energy. The materials and electrodes used to fabricate TENGs are usually polymer materials and metals. The article demonstrates a new TENG that use entirely bio- and environmental degradable materials. The basic ingredients of the TENG are wheat bread and vegetable leaves for fabricating a sandwich structured TENG (S-TENG). The maximum voltage and current of this S-TENG can reach about 15 V and 3 μA, respectively, when it works in the single electrode mode under the optimal conditions. Additionally, the effects of linear motor frequency, different triboelectric layers, and the area of triboelectric layers on the output of S-TENG were investigated in this work. Several application experiments have confirmed that the S-TENG is capable of driving commercial LED and initiating an alarm apparatus. This work provides a new prospect for the extensiveness of power objects and proves the potential of natural materials applied to the aspect of environmental-friendly power sources and harvesting the green energy.