Photoinduced enhancement of a triboelectric nanogenerator based on an organolead halide perovskite

We report a methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPbI(3)) perovskite-based photoenhanced triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). It features a dual working mechanism that relies on the joint properties of the photoelectric and triboelectric effects of the perovskite material. Both the photoconductivity and the surface triboelectric density of the perovskite-based composite thin film are significantly altered under solar illumination, resulting in considerable enhancement of the electrical output. The triboelectric output open-circuit voltage (V-oc), short circuit current (I-sc), and amount of electric charge (Q) were increased by 11%, 11%, and 9%, respectively, after illumination under full-sun conditions. Our work provides an approach for the enhancement of the mechanical-to-electrical conversion efficiency of the TENG by sunlight absorption.