Efficient Triboelectric Nanogenerator (TENG) Output Management for Improving Charge Density and Reducing Charge Loss

As a new branch of energy conversion technology, the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) can effectively convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and realize a self-driving system. As one of the most important indexes of TENG, charge density determines the performance of TENG. In this Review, two aspects of increasing charge density and reducing charge loss are discussed. In terms of increasing the charge density, material selection is the most fundamental, which determines the initial amount of transferred charge; increasing the contact area is the most commonly used; larger contact area can accumulate more charge; improving the internal or dipole arrangement of materials is the most easily overlooked link. At the same time, retaining the obtained charge and reducing the charge loss is also an important way to improve the performance of TENG. Aiming at the problems of high voltage, low current, and charge loss caused by TENG’s impedance matching, this Review summarizes the direct current conversion, buck conversion, and energy storage. Finally, we summarize and discuss the previous results and make a prospect for the future development trend of TENG.