A Sustainable and Flexible Microbrush‐Faced Triboelectric Generator for Portable/Wearable Applications

Abstract Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are put forward as a state‐of‐the‐art energy‐scavenging technology for self‐powered electronics, but their severe wear and degradation driven by inevitable friction can pose significant durability and sustainability concerns. Here, an array of microfibers is reported that functions as a robust and sustainable TENG in both in‐plane sliding and vertical contact‐separation modes, with excellent electrical potential as high as 20 V and a high cyclability of 3000. The design flexibility of this microbrush TENG (MB‐TENG) on the counter materials facilitates the further improvement of electrical outputs, benefiting numerous applications of human‐interactive triboelectrification. Significantly, these MB‐TENGs offer sufficient output power for successfully driving a smartwatch as well as an electromyography module. This technology uses a simple and cost‐effective manner to provide a robust and reliable monolithic TENG module, which is expected to serve as a promising energy‐harvesting source for self‐powered electronics in the near future.