Water-Through Triboelectric Nanogenerator Based on Ti-Mesh for Harvesting Liquid Flow

Water flow has mechanical energy as well as triboelectric energy generated by the friction between the solid surface and the water. We describe a water-through triboelectric nanogenerator (WTTENG) based on Ti-mesh that harvests electrical energy from contact electrification between the water flow and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nanowires. The electrical output from the fabricated WT-TENG is due to deionized water flowing through the polypropylene (PP) channel. The WTTENG generated a peak voltage and current of up to −9.4 V and −5.1 μA, respectively. In particular, the WT-TENG, which harvests the electrical energy from flowing deionized water, tap water and even a 0.6 M NaCl solution, can be used in applications of any existing kinds of fluids for not only harvesting mechanical energy but also sensing metal ions in the liquid.