Author:
Dahlström Christina,Eivazi Alireza,Nejström Malin,Zhang Renyun,Pettersson Torbjörn,Iftikhar Haider,Rojas Orlando J.,Medronho Bruno,Norgren Magnus
Abstract
AbstractCellulose has shown great potential in the development of green triboelectric nanogenerators. Particularly, regenerated cellulose (R-cellulose) has shown remarkably high output power density but the structural features and key parameters that explain such superior performance remain unexplored. In this work, wood cellulose fibers were dissolved in a LiOH(aq)-based solvent to produce a series of R-cellulose films. Regeneration in different alcohols (from methanol to n-pentanol) was performed and the films’ structural features and triboelectric performance were assessed. Nonsolvents of increased hydrophobicity led to R-cellulose films with a more pronounced (1–10) diffraction peak. An open-circuit voltage (VOC) of up to ca. 260 V and a short-circuit current (ISC) of up to ca. 150 µA were measured for R-cellulose against polytetrafluoroethylene (as negative counter-layer). However, R-cellulose showed an increased VOC of 175% (from 88.1 V) against polydimethylsiloxane when increasing the alcohol hydrocarbon chain length from methanol to n-pentanol. The corresponding ISC and output power also increased by 76% (from 89.9 µA) and by 382% (from 8.8 W m–2), respectively. The higher R-cellulose hydrophilicity, combined with soft counter-tribolayer that follow the surface structures increasing the effective contact area, are the leading reasons for a superior triboelectric performance.
Graphic abstract
Funder
KK Foundation
Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas
European Regional Development Fund
the Energy Agency of Sweden
Region Västernorrland
Sundsvall Municipality
Timrå Municipality
Härnösand Municipality
ERC Advanced
The Canada Excellence Research Chair initiative
Canada Foundation for Innovation
Vetenskapsrådet
Mid Sweden University
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC