Green energy harvesting to power electronic devices using portable triboelectric nanogenerator based on waste corn husk and recycled polystyrene

Green energy harvesting devices are potential sustainable power sources for self-powered sensors, electronics, and the Internet of Things. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) based on natural polymers and waste materials can harvest green energy from vibration sources to convert it into electrical energy. These nanogenerators could substitute conventional electrochemical batteries to power future smart sensors and electronic devices without contaminating our ambient. Herein, we present a novel portable triboelectric nanogenerator formed by a waste corn husk and a recycled polystyrene (PS) plate as triboelectric layers. This nanogenerator has a compact and lightweight structure developed by a low-cost and eco-friendly fabrication process. This nanogenerator can convert vibrational kinetic energy into electrical energy, achieving a power density of 670.5 mW∙m−2 with a 51.9 MΩ load resistance and operating at 14 Hz. This portable nanogenerator includes simple signal processing and it can power an array of 472 commercial blue LEDs, a digital calculator, and a stopwatch. The output voltage of this nanogenerator is stable even after 25,211 operating cycles at 14 Hz with 25 mm of separation distance between triboelectric layers. The proposed nanogenerator has potential applications to power small electronic devices and sensors using vibrational kinetic energy from the environment.