3D Cu ball-based hybrid triboelectric nanogenerator with non-fullerene organic photovoltaic cells for self-powering indoor electronics

Abstract Hybrid energy harvesters capable of capturing energy from multiple sources are gaining increasing attention. In this study, we develop the first hybrid organic photovoltaic cell−triboelectric nanogenerator (OPV–TENG) system targeting human activities indoors. The hybrid device comprises a non-fullerene OPV and a Cu ball-based TENG connected in series. Through optimization of an OPV cell, high power conversion efficiencies (15.03%–16.45%) are achieved for cells covering 50 mm2 from indoor light sources. The Cu ball-based TENG effectively generates alternative electricity (electric power > 3 μW and charge up to 1.5 nC) by continuous contact−separation of the Cu balls due to human walking. The hybrid OPV–TENG system by stimulation/automatically harvests indoor light energy and mechanical energy from human motion. The total voltage/current outputs of the hybrid system are close to the sum of those generated from the OPV and TENG individually. Also, we demonstrate that a capacitor and a lithium-ion battery (LIB) are effectively and rapidly charged using an OPV–TENG-based hybrid self-charging device. Our study initiates developing hybrid OPV–TENG systems with extensive application potential for powering indoor electronics.