Fully Enclosed Cylindrical Single-Electrode-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator

We report a fully enclosed cylindrical single-electrode-based triboelectric nanogenerator (S-TENG) consisting of a perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) ball with surface-etched nanowires, a floating latex balloon, and an Al electrode at the end of the balloon. The mechanism of the S-TENG includes two independent processes: contact-induced electrification between the PFA ball and the balloon and electrostatic induction between the charged PFA ball and the Al electrode. The relationships between the electrical outputs and the sliding distance of the PFA ball were systematically investigated by combining experimental results with finite-element calculations. The S-TENG delivers an output voltage up to 236 V and a short-circuit current of 4.8 μA, which can be used as a direct power source for driving tens of green light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The S-TENG is a potential power source for gas-flow harvesters, air navigation, and environmental monitoring.