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Integration of micro-supercapacitors with triboelectric nanogenerators for a flexible self-charging power unit

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Abstract

The rapid development of portable and wearable electronic devices has increased demand for flexible and efficient energy harvesting and storage units. Conventionally, these are built and used separately as discrete components. Herein, we propose a simple and cost-effective laser engraving technique for fabricating a flexible self-charging micro-supercapacitor power unit (SCMPU), by integrating a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and a micro-supercapacitor (MSC) array into a single device. The SCMPU can be charged directly by ambient mechanical motion. We demonstrate the ability of the SCMPU to continuously power light-emitting diodes and a commercial hygrothermograph. This investigation may promote the development of sustainable self-powered systems and provide a promising new research application for supercapacitors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China

    Jianjun Luo, Feng Ru Fan, Tao Jiang, Zhiwei Wang, Wei Tang, Cuiping Zhang, Mengmeng Liu, Guozhong Cao & Zhong Lin Wang

  2. Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China

    Feng Ru Fan

  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA

    Guozhong Cao

  4. School of Material Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA

    Zhong Lin Wang

Authors
  1. Jianjun Luo
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  2. Feng Ru Fan
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  3. Tao Jiang
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  4. Zhiwei Wang
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  5. Wei Tang
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  6. Cuiping Zhang
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  9. Zhong Lin Wang
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Correspondence to Zhong Lin Wang.

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Luo, J., Fan, F.R., Jiang, T. et al. Integration of micro-supercapacitors with triboelectric nanogenerators for a flexible self-charging power unit. Nano Res. 8, 3934–3943 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-015-0894-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-015-0894-8

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