Ultra-stretchable on-body-based soft triboelectric nanogenerator for electronic skin

Abstract

Abstract Recently, there has been a rapidly growing interest in the application of electronic skins and wearable sensors that can be attached to the human skin or the curved parts of the human body, owing to their flexibility and elasticity. However, developing a power supply to drive such devices is a significant challenge. An on-body-based soft triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which can be attached to the skin and generate energy from any type of motion, is proposed to address this challenge. The manufacturing process of the proposed device is simpler than that of a similar previously developed TENG. The proposed on-body-based soft TENG is ultra-thin and has a thickness of approximately 200 μm. Au-coated yarn, which acted as an electrode, was formed on the elastomeric substrate in a serpentine form, exhibiting high elasticity (>100%) and stable properties without distortion, even after experiencing repeated deformation. Attached to the back of the hand, TENG generated 150 mW m−2 power and demonstrated practical application potential because it could charge the storage element while operating the electronic device. Additionally, it was attached to different parts of the body to harvest energy with strong adhesion, even under various motions. The on-body-based soft TENG can be used as a thin and flexible soft power source for replacing existing bulk batteries and can also serve as an essential core device in various fields related to electronic skin and flexible electronic devices.