Managing and maximizing the output power of a triboelectric nanogenerator by controlled tip-electrode air-discharging and application for UV sensing

An air discharge switch has been introduced into the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), where the switch's on/off state is controlled by the voltage of the TENG itself. Using this switch, the output performances of the TENG can be largely enhanced. Also, a self-powered UV light photodetector has been developed based on this TENG with an air discharge switch.220