Ultra-stability high-voltage triboelectric nanogenerator designed by ternary dielectric triboelectrification with partial soft-contact and non-contact mode

As an effective high-voltage supply, triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) shows the output characteristics of high voltage (~kV) and low current (~µA) with advantages of low cost, high safety and high portability. Usually, the serious material abrasion and voltage output lower than 10 kV of TENG have limited its practical high-voltage application. Herein, a polyester fur-reinforced rotary triboelectric nanogenerator (PFR-TENG) with an ultra-stability high voltage output is proposed. Based on the appropriate work function and electronegativity, a soft polyester fur layer, as the charge pump and charge transmitter, is introduced to form partial soft-contact and non-contact. Therefore, PFR-TENG maintains 100% electrical output after 100k cycles. Adopting ternary dielectric triboelectrification design, 15 kV DC voltage and 10 kV AC voltage are obtained easily without a voltage-multiplying circuit. To prove the practicability of the TENG, the high-voltage pulsed electric field generated by PFR-TENG is used to promote seed germination. The germination index and vigor index increase by 34.4% and 351.2% compared with untreated seeds. This work shows a feasible strategy for improving the stability and voltage output of the TENG, and expands the application of TENG as high-voltage equipment for high-tech agriculture.