Triboelectric-Nanogenerator-Based Soft Energy-Harvesting Skin Enabled by Toughly Bonded Elastomer/Hydrogel Hybrids

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Abstract
A major challenge accompanying the booming next-generation soft electronics is providing correspondingly soft and sustainable power sources for driving such devices. Here, we report stretchable triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) with dual working modes based on the soft hydrogel–elastomer hybrid as energy skins for harvesting biomechanical energies. The tough interfacial bonding between the hydrophilic hydrogel and hydrophobic elastomer, achieved by the interface modification, ensures the stable mechanical and electrical performances of the TENGs. Furthermore, the dehydration of this toughly bonded hydrogel-elastomer hybrid is significantly inhibited (the average dehydration decreases by over 73%). With PDMS as the electrification layer and hydrogel as the electrode, a stretchable, transparent (90% transmittance), and ultrathin (380 μm) single-electrode TENG was fabricated to conformally attach on human skin and deform as the body moves. The two-electrode mode TENG is capable of harvesting energy from arbitrary human motions (press, stretch, bend, and twist) to drive the self-powered electronics. This work provides a feasible technology to design soft power sources, which could potentially solve the energy issues of soft electronics.
Funding Information
  • Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (2016YFA0202703)
  • Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (51603013, 51432005, 61574018)
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • Thousands Talents Program for Pioneer Researcher and his Innovation Team
  • Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Adminitrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park (Z171100000317001)

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