High-voltage direct current triboelectric nanogenerator based on charge pump and air ionization for electrospinning

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have been widely studied as a new type of environmentally friendly green energy. But traditional TENGs mostly generate alternating current (AC) that changes periodically. Here, a novel rolling-mode direct-current triboelectric nanogenerator (DC-TENG) is designed. It consists of rollers of two different materials, a rubber belt and two metal electrodes. During the rotation, the rubber belt continuously transfers the charge from one roller to the other, so that the positive and negative charges accumulate on the two rollers respectively. The high-voltage electrostatic field generated between the roller and the electrode ionizes the air, so that the two electrodes are charged with different charges, so as to achieve DC output. The rolling-mode DC-TENG can generate a DC output of up to 16 kV and 5 μA. This device can act as a high-voltage power source for electrospinning to prepare different polymer nanofibers. DC-TENG can be directly used as a DC power supply, successfully lighting about 4000 LEDs. At the same time, it can charge the capacitor and store energy and light up the hygrometer. This work proposes a new model of DC-TENG that successfully realizes DC output, and demonstrates that this DC-TENG provides practical applications in the fields of high-voltage electrostatics and energy supply. In conclusion, this study provides a convenient and effective new strategy for DC TENG to minimize wear losses and maintain stable DC triboelectric output.