Recent advancements for improving the performance of triboelectric nanogenerator devices

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) based energy harvesting is considered as a highly efficient approach for mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion based on contact electrification and electrostatic induction. Although triboelectrification is exhibited by almost all substances, chemists and material scientists have performed extensive investigations through theoretical analysis and practical applications to promote further development of TENGs. However, there are various parameters related to triboelectric materials and its output performance, which are required to be optimized for further improvement of efficiency and stability of TENGs. Especially, extensive research effort has been dedicated in engineering triboelectric materials to improve the output performance. However, the industrial application of TENG is still limited by low charging and power conversion efficiency. This review comprehensively discusses the recent progress in improvement of the output performance of TENGs based on different strategies and principles. Moreover, this review also suggests a holistic approach for the design and integration of charge boosting and power management with TENGs. The key impact of this review includes the discussion regarding physical and chemical modification based multidimensional engineering as well as different charge boosting, and power management strategies for the further advancement of TENGs. Moreover, the review also further introduces the applications of TENGs in emerging fields, such as wearable electronic devices and implantable medical devices. Finally, the challenges and future prospective are discussed, thereby guiding further research priorities.