Slippery contact on organogel enabling droplet energy harvest. (May 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cui, Peng; Ge, Ying; Yao, Xi; Wang, Jingjing; Zhang, Jingjing; Meng, Huan; Liu, Lan; Wang, Jingsheng; Ju, Jie; Cheng, Gang; Du, Zuliang
• Is Part Of: Nano energy. Volume 109(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-05
• Subjects: Triboelectric nanogenerators -- Triboelectric -- Contact electrification -- Organogel -- Wettability; Nanoscience -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanostructured materials -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Technological innovations -- Periodicals; Nanoscience; Nanostructured materials; Nanotechnology; Power resources -- Technological innovations; Periodicals; 621.042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2023.108286
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2211-2855

Abstract

Abstract: Liquid-solid-based triboelectric nanogenerators (LS-TENG) are new tools for collecting energy from water in nature. Recent efforts have been made on LS-TENG based on superhydrophobic surfaces with faster sliding speed of water droplets and more efficient LS separation comparing to the hydrophobic ones, resulting in higher energy output performance. However, there is a tradeoff between sliding speed and LS contact area. Solving this tradeoff will raise both the output capability and energy conversion efficiency. In this study, we demonstrate a new TENG based on liquid-organogel (LG) interface. By introducing organogel as the triboelectric layer, a new slippery contact mode is established between water droplets and organogel. In physical chemistry, the slippery contact is applauded for the high sliding speed and large contact area, which creates an opportunity for our current task. During sliding of a water droplet on LG-TENG, the electrostatic induction yielded a transferred charge of ∼12 nC per droplet, which is 3 times greater than that from control experiment based on LS-TENG. In despite of the high output performance, the LG-TENG is of low-cost and up-scalability, which make it a ready candidate for harvesting distributed energy from natural resources on the vast outdoor facilities. Graphical Abstract: ga1 Highlights: The sliding resistance of the water droplet on organogel surface is 25 µN. The contact area of the water droplet on organogel is approximately 3 times higher. Through inducing organogel, transferred charge of 12 nC per droplet is achieved. Outputs are 3 times higher than that of LS-TENG with the same material composition.