Extraordinary-durable cylindrical rotary triboelectric nanogenerator based on CB/Fe3O4/PDMS microarrays for energy harvester

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) with exceptionally durable energy harvesting performance are increasingly important in the pursuit of sustainable/renewable energy sources. However, the durability of frictional electricity material inevitably decreases due to material abrasion, which significantly hinders their real-world application. Here, robust and flexible films composed of CB/Fe3O4/PDMS and CB/Fe3O4/PDMS@Au microarrays have been employed as paired frictional electricity materials, wrapped around the surface of cylindrical electrodes to develop rotary TENG. When two rotary electrodes contact, the aforementioned paired microarrays intersect, causing overlapping friction. This leads to an increased contact electrified surface area, resulting in high output performance with a maximum peak power density reaching 16.2 mW m−2. Importantly, the configuration of this rotary TENG described herein effectively prevents frictional material damage caused by friction. This is achieved by allowing free rolling movement instead of being fixed in a stationary position, thereby ensuring exceptional durability. Furthermore, the resulting rotary TENG shows exceptional biomechanical energy harvesting capability even after undergoing multiple rotations and experiencing friction for up to 100,000 cycles. The durable PDMS-based microarrays film exhibits great potential for flexible/wearable TENGs, highlighting their potential applications and impact on the field of sustainable energy harvesting technology.