Multifunctional triboelectric nanogenerator based on porous micro-nickel foam to harvest mechanical energy

To strengthen the effective contact area of two materials with the opposite triboelectric polarities was proved to be an effective solution to enhance the electronic output of triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). Presently, that mainly focused on the surface modification of negative materials by micro/nano structure, however, rarely for the positive materials. Here, we presented a simple, low-cost and multifunctional TENG based on the porous micro-nickel foam (PMNF) for harvesting the natural vibration energy. With the surface modification of PMNF with the positive polarity, the newly designed TENG produced an open-circuit voltage up to 187.8 V and a short-circuit current of 71.9 mu A with the peak power density of 3.7 W/m(2) at the resonance frequency of 13.9 Hz by harvesting vibration energy. This TENG could simultaneously and continuously light up 100 commercial light-emitting diode bulbs. Additionally, by the footfalls force of about 500 N, the corresponding open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current were as high as 403 V and 336 mu A, respectively. The newly designed TENG can be used for the self-powdered floor by footfalls and also for powering some wireless electronics by harvesting the vibration energy from highways, railways, and tunnels in remote mountain areas. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.