Engineering Flexible Triboelectric Laminates—Advanced Energy Harvesting and Sensing for Wearable Electronics and Smart Systems

Triboelectric generators (TEGs) are rapidly gaining attention as efficient small-scale converters of mechanical to electrical energy, with the capability to harness energy from a wide array of sources such as motion, ambient vibrations, noise, and even water droplets. Despite their promise, TEGs are often constrained by limitations in surface charge density and output power.<br/>Recent advancements focus on overcoming these limitations through various innovative approaches. Enhancing triboelectric surface charge density has been achieved by optimizing material properties and molecular arrangements[1], leading to improved charge transfer capabilities. Surface functionalization techniques have been employed to chemically modify surfaces[2], thereby increasing charge retention and transfer efficiency. Additionally, controlling interfacial strain at the contact points between materials has been shown to significantly boost charge density[3]. Another key development involves exploiting volumetric dipoles, which arise from triboelectric and piezoelectric effects within the bulk of the material, contributing to higher energy output[4,5].<br/>By integrating these approaches, it is possible to achieve substantial improvements in generator performance, with some systems reaching output levels of up to 50 W/m^{&lt;span style="font-size:10.8333px"&gt;2&lt;/span&gt;} These advancements pave the way for more efficient energy harvesting and broaden the potential applications of triboelectric technology in various fields, including wearable electronics and distributed sensing networks.<br/><br/>References:<br/>1] Šutka et al., Adv. Mater. Technol. 2022, 2200162;<br/>[2] Germane et al., Mater. Adv. 2023, 4, 875-880;<br/>[3] Verners et al., Nano Energy 2022, 104, 107914;<br/>[4] Linarts et al., Small 2023, 2205563;<br/>[5] Šutka et al., ACS Applied Energy Materials 2023, 6, 9300-9306.