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.
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].
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^{<span style="font-size:10.8333px">2</span>} 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.

References:
1] Šutka et al., Adv. Mater. Technol. 2022, 2200162;
[2] Germane et al., Mater. Adv. 2023, 4, 875-880;
[3] Verners et al., Nano Energy 2022, 104, 107914;
[4] Linarts et al., Small 2023, 2205563;
[5] Šutka et al., ACS Applied Energy Materials 2023, 6, 9300-9306.