Realizing the potential of polyethylene oxide as new positive tribo-material: Over 40 W/m2 high power flat surface triboelectric nanogenerators

Polyethylene oxide is found to possess very strong positive triboelectric affinity, and used to fabricate triboelectric nanogenerators with various negative tribo-materials. The PEO/PDMS TENG produces a voltage of up to 970 V and a power of ~ 40 W m−2 under a contact force of 50 N, much higher than those of TENGs with PA6, the best positive tribo-material so far. This study demonstrates the feasibility and potential to utilize PEO as the positive tribo-material to enhance the power output of TENGs, and expands the current portfolio of materials used for triboelectric energy.220