A Novel Graphite/PDMS based Flexible Triboelectric Nanogenerator

A novel flexible triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) was fabricated for energy harvesting applications. The TENG consists of graphite/polydimethylsiloxane (G/PDMS) composite on copper (Cu) as anode and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) layer on aluminum (Al) as cathode. The G/PDMS composite was prepared by mixing G (6 wt%) and PDMS (74 wt%) in Toluene and bar coated on to a copper film. A surface thickness of 100 µm and 150 µm as well as a roughness of ~0.81 µm and ~1.5 µm was measured for the G/PDMS and PVDF, respectively. The capability of the TENG in term of open circuit voltage (OCV) and short circuit current (SCC) was investigated by subjecting it to a force of 4 N at varying frequencies of 3 Hz, 5 Hz and 7 Hz. Similarly, the OCV and SCC measurements were performed for 8 N and 12 N as well at different frequencies. A maximum OCV of 14 V and SCC of 3.2 μA was obtained for an applied force of 12 N at frequency 7 Hz, respectively.