Journal of Electrostatics 115 (2022) 103640

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Journal of Electrostatics
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/elstat

Cost-effective fabrication approaches for improving output performance of

triboelectric energy harvesters
Siavash Zargari a, Ziaddin Daie Koozehkanani a, *, Hadi Veladi a, Jafar Sobhi a, Alireza Rezania b
a
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
b
AAU Energy, Aalborg University, Pontopidanstraede 111, Aalborg, Denmark

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: This study exploits conductive nickel/copper nonwoven polyester as a new triboelectric material and proves its
Energy harvesting effectiveness in improving the electrical characteristics of triboelectric energy harvesters and reducing produc­
Triboelectric effect tion costs. The tribo-surface charge density as another influencing factor in the triboelectric nanogenerators
Triboelectric nanogenerator
(TENGs) output performance has also been addressed via pre-implanting charges into the surface of polytetra­
Surface treatment
Corona discharging
fluoroethylene (PTFE) film using a compact, small, and inexpensive boost step-up power module as an innovative
tool. The open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current of eight TENGs are examined to assess the effect of the
triboelectric materials, surface morphology, and charge-implantation process on the TENG performance. Sand­
paper is used as a stamp to induce micro/nanostructures on the PTFE surface, and its surface charge density is
improved using the proposed boost step-up power module. The main purpose of this study is not to provide a new
structure for the TENG; this study provides a feasible way to reduce fabrication costs and increase the output
performance of triboelectric energy harvesters.

1. Introduction A TENG follows a process of producing static electric charge by

Wearable and small smart electronic devices are now gaining sig­
nificant popularity due to their wide range of applications in our daily
life. In order to keep the electronic equipment running continuously and
independently, most of these devices rely on electric power driven by
rechargeable batteries. The latter has the drawback of bulk size and
limited lifetime, leading their performance to a technical challenge. As a
result, researchers continuously seek alternative energy sources [1,2].
Many different kinds of mechanical energy are present in our envi­
ronment. Based on the piezoelectric effect, electromagnetic induction,
and triboelectric effect, all these energy sources can be transformed into
accessible electrical energy to deliver power to several electronic gad­
gets [3–6]. Triboelectric power generation is a relatively new energy
harvesting technology with high throughput via a simple operation. A
triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) can harvest various kinds of envi­
ronmental kinetic energy, such as human movement-related mechanical
energy, and transform it into electrical energy. The energy conversion
mechanism and operating conditions are straightforward, while the
energy harvester is able to support many small and portable electronic
devices as a reliable and durable source of energy [7,8].
rubbing two dissimilar triboelectric materials against each other. This is
caused by electron transfer between materials, and electrostatic charges
with opposite polarities are induced on triboelectric surfaces. There are
essentially two main types of movements, i.e., sliding and contact-
separation movements, which can be used in a TENG. Rotating and
freestanding designs are commonly employed in sliding mode TENG,
while pressure and vibrations are typically converted into electricity in
the contact-separation mode [9–11]. TENG lifespan under
contact-separation operation is usually more than the sliding mode as a
result of less wear effect [12].
Contact materials, system structures, and the morphology of the
contact surface are considered significant influencing factors in the
output performance of TENGs [13–15]. Different surface treatment
methods, like lithography, electron beam lithography, ion plasma, and
etching, can increase the effective contact surface. However, these
methods are challenging because the fabrication procedures are
complicated, expensive, and time-consuming [16–19]. Abrasive sand­
paper can be suitable for enhancing the effective contact area using the
stamping (imprinting) process. Sandpaper is low-priced, flexible, and
widely available. It also generates roughness levels of micro/nanoscale

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: zdaie@tabrizu.ac.ir (Z.D. Koozehkanani).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elstat.2021.103640
Received 22 August 2021; Received in revised form 11 November 2021; Accepted 11 November 2021
Available online 25 November 2021
0304-3886/© 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
S. Zargari et al. Journal of Electrostatics 115 (2022) 103640

by its nature [20]. It requires negligible cost and process time to attain Table 1
micro/nano roughness than traditional approaches. A brief description of the triboelectric series [28].
In recent years, researchers have proposed new materials for TENGs More positively charged (+) ▴
by combining textile materials and metal alloys. As one of the first
Polyamide (Nylon)
studies, Pu et al. introduced a conductive nickel-cloth textile, prepared Hair
by electroless plating of nickel on typical polyester cloth [21]. Xia et al. Wool
used carbon-cloth as the substrate and grew nickel/copper Silk
nano-wrinkles on its surface to get a high-surface-area triboelectric Aluminium
Paper
material [22]. The fabric surface of the proposed materials increases the Cotton
effective triboelectric contact area and improves the TENG output per­ Nickel, Copper
formance. However, the main disadvantage of this method is its Silver
complicated and costly manufacturing process. Afterward, Xia et al. [23] Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
Polyimide (Kapton)
and He et al. [24] have used conductive Ni/Cu woven polyester to
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
develop triboelectric energy harvesters. This material is commercially Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)
available and can be used in the fabrication process of TENGs, which Polytrifluorochloroethylene (PTFE)
will reduce the fabrication costs. More negatively charged (-) ▾
This study used conductive Ni/Cu nonwoven polyester as a new
triboelectric material introduced in our recently published paper [25]. It
the triboelectric effect refers to the electric charges caused by rubbing.
is also commercially available and is often used in electromagnetic and
When two samples of materials, one from the top of the list and the other
radio-frequency shielding applications. The base metal of this material is
from the bottom, are rubbed together, the first one will lose electrons
copper, with an outer layer of nickel to improve the corrosion resistance
and be positively charged. In contrast, the second one will absorb
[26]. Besides, an excellent rough surface and the large specific surface
electrons and become negatively charged. Therefore, two materials with
area of nonwoven textiles can make conductive Ni/Cu nonwoven
the most diversity in the triboelectric series will cause more electric
polyester an ideal option for use in triboelectric energy harvesters [27].
charge transfer and give the TENG the highest performance. Four
This study uses two straightforward and low-cost methods to in­
common TENG designs are introduced, as in Fig. 1, based on their
crease the performance of the triboelectric energy harvesters for highly
electrode configuration or moving modes of triboelectric layers [30].
efficient energy conversion. In the fabricated laboratory model of TENG,
Throughout this research, the vertical contact-separation mode TENG
the bottom layer was made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a fric­
will be examined because of its straightforward fabrication process. It
tion layer, and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was utilized as the
should be noted that for all types of TENGs, the methods listed for
supporting framework. We used aluminium (Al), copper (Cu), and
increasing the TENG output performance will be valid.
conductive Ni/Cu polyester nonwoven tapes as the other friction layer as
As Fig. 2a shows, the triboelectric materials are initially charged
well as an electrode and examined their performance.
after the contact phase of the vertical contact-separation mode. This is
Different groups of TENGs were assembled to form different contact
due to the surface migration of electrons between triboelectric layers
modes, such as Al and Cu tapes to flat PTFE contact mode, Ni/Cu
and their opposite electron affinities. As an external force detaches the
polyester tape to flat PTFE contact mode, Al and Cu tapes to patterned
layers, a potential difference is induced between the two electrodes. The
PTFE contact mode, and Ni/Cu polyester tape to patterned PTFE.
free electrons are then driven by the potential difference through the
Furthermore, the double-sided corona discharge method was used to
external circuit to counteract the potential difference and preserve the
increase the charge density in the PTFE films using a low-cost and
electrostatic balance, transforming mechanical energy into electrical
compact high-voltage generator module. To determine the effectiveness
energy.
of the proposed methods, open-circuit voltage (VOC) and short-circuit
Fig. 2b (I) illustrates a schematic model of the triboelectric nano­
current (ISC) were assessed for different groups of TENGs as a figure of
generator studied in this paper. We used Al, Cu, and conductive Ni/Cu
merit. The experiments showed that, for the power-enhanced TENG, a
polyester nonwoven tapes as the triboelectric layer and as an active
maximum value of 943 V and 50 μA were achieved for the VOC and ISC,
electrode for TENG to build an electrode-to-dielectric vertical contact-
respectively.
separation mode TENG due to their high conductivity, adherent
ductility for high endurance, and low cost. Furthermore, PTFE was used
2. Materials and methods
as the dielectric layer based on the triboelectric series and its significant
tribo-negative nature [28]. PTFE is also available at a low cost, with high
This part of the paper presents the working mechanism of tribo­
durability and high output performance characteristics, making it a
electric energy harvesters and their fabrication process. Afterward, the
perfect choice for TENG.
methods employed to improve the power generation of the fabricated
The dielectric layer has a contact area S, a thickness d, and a relative
energy harvesters will be discussed. Finally, the equipment used to
dielectric constant ϵr. The external force acts on the moveable electrode
measure the electrical output of the energy harvesters will be described.
and changes the relative distance between the electrode and the fixed
dielectric layer. The electrical potential difference between the TENG
2.1. TENG operation
electrodes originates from two factors, which can be demonstrated by
two circuit elements in the TENG equivalent circuit, as shown in Fig. 2b
TENG practically operates on the basis of the triboelectric and
(II) [31,32]. The first one is derived from the capacitance between the
electrostatic effect theory [28]. The triboelectric effect is a well-known
two electrodes and can be represented by a variable capacitor (C). The
phenomenon, and all materials can present this effect with more or less
other is a term that refers to the electrostatic potential, which occurs
generated electric charges. Therefore, the selection of proper materials
when the polarized triboelectric charges detach from each other and can
plays an essential role in TENG efficiency. The specific properties of the
be described by an ideal voltage source (VOC). For the
materials, such as the tendency to lose/gain electrons and the work
electrode-to-dielectric vertical contact-separation mode TENG, the
function, control the material polarity and charge density. The material
electrical potential difference between the two electrodes can be given
selection is performed through the triboelectric series, a list of different
by Ref. [31]:
materials ordered by their tendency to lose or receive electrons [28,29].
Table 1 provides a brief overview of the triboelectric series list.
The Greek prefix "tribo" in the triboelectric effect means rubbing, and

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S. Zargari et al. Journal of Electrostatics 115 (2022) 103640

Fig. 1. Schematic description of TENG basic operating modes: (a) Vertical contact-separation, (b) Lateral sliding, (c) Single-electrode, (d) Freestanding triboelectric-
layer mode.

Fig. 2. (a) The working principle of TENG in the vertical contact-separation mode; (b). Schematic model of the studied TENG (I), Equivalent circuit of the tribo­
electric energy harvester (II).

( )
Q d σ x(t) The above equations show that the output performance is directly
V= − + x(t) + (1)
Sε0 εr ε0 dependent on the triboelectric contact area, surface charge density, and
the materials used during the TENG fabrication.
where Q and x(t) are the transferred charge and relative displacement
between the two electrodes, respectively, ϵ0 is the permittivity of the
free space, and σ is the surface charge density. For the open-circuit and 2.2. Fabrication process of the TENG
short-circuit cases, it would be necessary to set Q = 0 and V = 0,
respectively. Therefore, Two PMMA sheets were used as substrates, with a thickness of 0.5 cm
and an area of 7 × 7 cm2. After the framework was prepared, a
VOC =
σx(t)
(2) conductive tape with a dimension of 4 × 5 cm2 was stuck to the top
ε0 substrate. In this study, Al tape (Tesa 50577, Germany), Cu tape
(Advance Tapes, AT528, England), and conductive Ni/Cu nonwoven
Sσx(t)
QSC = d (3) polyester tape (Saint Gobain, 3027-217, France) were used as tribo­
εr + x(t) electric materials. Due to their high capacity to lose electrons and
outstanding electrical conductivity, these conductive tapes participate

3
S. Zargari et al.
as triboelectric pairs and conductive electrodes. Simultaneously, the
fabric composition of Ni/Cu polyester improves triboelectric material
roughness and provides excellent output performance without further
surface roughening treatment. The use of this element in TENG fabri­
cation decreases fabrication costs dramatically and improves the TENG
output performance compared to other conducting metals.
On the other PMMA substrate, double-side adhesive Cu tape (3 M,
1182 tape, USA) was fixed on the bottom substrate as the bottom contact
electrode. Subsequently, PTFE film (DuPont, USA) with dimensions of 4
cm × 5 cm and a thickness of 50 μm was fixed on the Cu tape as the other
triboelectric material. Finally, for subsequent electrical measurement,
Cu wires were attached to two contact electrodes.
2.3. Proposed methods for improving the TENG performance
The proposed methods for improving the output performance of the
TENG will be clarified in more detail in this section, where we proposed
two easy-to-implement, fast, and extremely low-cost methods to
enhance the generated power of TENGs and evaluated them in practice.
2.3.1. Surface texturing effect
Adding roughness to the triboelectric surfaces improves triboelectric
Fig. 3. SEM images of the triboelectric materials. (a) Aluminium tape. (b) Copper tape. (c) Conductive nickel/copper nonwoven polyester tape. (d) PTFE film. (e) A
schematic view of the imprinting process. (f) SEM image of the sandpaper surface. (g) SEM image of the patterned PTFE surface. The inset images show the magnified
view of the surfaces.
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Journal of Electrostatics 115 (2022) 103640
efficiency and output performance [33]. This research studied the
morphology of triboelectric materials using a scanning electron micro­
scope (ZEISS, EVO LS15, Germany) at an operation voltage of 15 kV. The
SEM images in Fig. 3a–d show the surfaces of the Al tape, Cu tape, Ni/Cu
nonwoven polyester tape, and PTFE film (see also Fig. S1 to Fig. S8,
Supporting Information). As shown in Fig. 3c, the textile structure of the
Ni/Cu nonwoven polyester surface can increase the triboelectric contact
area and improve TENG output performance. Therefore, a traditional
pattern transfer procedure, i.e., the imprint method, was used to pro­
duce micro/nanostructures on the PTFE film surface.
In this study, abrasive sandpaper with standard no. P220 was used as
a stamp. As shown in Fig. 3e, the PTFE film was placed on the sandpaper
surface, and then a uniform pressure (15 MPa) was employed to perform
the micro/nanoscale pattern transfer. The SEM image of the sandpaper
surface and patterned PTFE is illustrated in Fig. 3f and g (see Fig. S9 to
Fig. S12, Supporting Information). This sandpaper-based imprinting
procedure generated micro/nanostructures on the PTFE surface and
thus increased the average roughness based on the SEM image of the
patterned PTFE film.
2.3.2. Surface charge pre-implantation
The PTFE electrets are usually pre-implanted by the ionized charges
S. Zargari et al.
as a continuous diversion by the corona discharge to enhance the elec­
trostatic induction through regular contact-separation cycles. Electrets
are dielectric components with a near-permanent electrical charge or
dipole polarization that can provide a stable electrical field for many
years. Electrets can be classified into two main categories: inorganic
SiO2 (SiO2, Si3N4) and organic polymer (Teflon, Parylene, FEP, PVDF)
electrets [34]. Organic electrets (for example, PTFE utilized in the pre­
sent research) are suitable for energy harvesting applications because of
their remarkable surface charge density, long-term stability, and dura­
bility. Furthermore, for years, electret surface charges can be held to
ensure sustainable active conditions in the measurements and applica­
tions of the devices [35].
Multiple specific methods, such as corona discharging [36], photon
excitation [37], and electron injection by electron gun [38], are typi­
cally used for the implantation of charges into electrets. However, the
experimental setups used for these methods are often large, compli­
cated, and expensive. As illustrated in Fig. 4a, in this study, we used a
novel, small, and inexpensive boost step-up power module (3V-6V to
400 kV, Walfront, China) as an innovative tool for charge implantation
using the corona discharging method.
As shown in Fig. 4b and Movie S1 (Supporting Information), the air
around the tip of the output terminal with a higher potential gradient is
ionized, which drives the charge flow toward the lower potential ter­
minal. Charged particles are uniformly embedded into the PTFE electret
by the electrostatic field between the output terminals. To enhance the
uniformity of the discharging process, several successive steps were
applied to sweep the entire surface of each side of the PTFE film for 2
min (Fig. 4c and d).
Supplementary data related to this article can be found at https
://doi.org/10.1016/j.elstat.2021.103640.
2.4. Experimental setup
Fig. 5a and b illustrate the experimental setup with a schematic di­
agram of its working principle. A permanent magnet shaker (B&K, LDS
V201, Denmark) has been employed to apply the required driving force
to the TENG. The shaker converted electrical signals from a power
amplifier (B&K, LPA 100, Denmark), which was connected to a function
generator (Hewlett Packard, 33120A, USA), into linear motion. The
fabricated TENG was attached to the force sensor (B&K, 8230-001,
Denmark) to measure the applied force. The shaker works with an
amplitude and frequency of 5 mm and 4 Hz, respectively. The top and
bottom parts of the TENG were set respectively with the pressing surface
Fig. 4. (a) An image of the utilized boost step-up power module. (b) Corona discharge between the output terminals of the module. (c) Sweeping the entire PTFE
surface horizontally. (d) Sweeping the entire PTFE surface vertically.
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Journal of Electrostatics 115 (2022) 103640
of the shaker and a flat fixed plate. A digital oscilloscope (Teledyne,
HDO6104, USA) with a 100 MΩ probe (RS PRO, RS-HV 150, England)
measured the open-circuit voltage of the TENG. On the other hand, the
short-circuit current was measured using a precision source/measure
unit (SMU, Keysight, B2902A, USA). It should be pointed out that all
tests were carried out with an applied force of ~10 N at a frequency of 4
Hz, as shown in Fig. 5c.
3. Results and discussion
This part of the paper focuses on the results of the experimental
evaluation of fabricated triboelectric energy harvesters. The first section
will cover the effect of triboelectric material choice on the output per­
formance of the energy harvester. Afterward, the output performance of
the energy harvesters with different surface morphologies will be eval­
uated. Finally, the effect of surface charge density on TENG performance
will be presented.
3.1. The effect of triboelectric materials on TENG performance
In the initial part of the experiments, we used Al, Cu, and PTFE as
triboelectric materials. To explain the impact of the triboelectric mate­
rials on the TENG performance, we assembled three different groups of
TENGs: Al to flat PTFE (denoted as TENG 1), Cu to flat PTFE (as TENG
2), and Ni/Cu nonwoven polyester to flat PTFE (as TENG 3). The
fabricated TENGs were examined in the typical vertical contact-
separation mode. Their performance has been compared with approxi­
mate values of the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current.
Fig. 6a, c, and e display the open-circuit voltage signals for TENG 1,
TENG 2, and TENG 3. The maximum voltages of 230 V, 176 V, and 285 V
were achieved for TENG 1, TENG 2, and TENG 3, respectively. Also,
Fig. 6b, d, and f show the short-circuit currents of the three cases where
the maximum currents of 7.5 μA, 5.4 μA, and 15 μA were observed for
the TENG 1, TENG 2, and TENG 3, respectively.
The higher triboelectric properties of aluminium compared to copper
in Table 1 make TENG 1 perform better than TENG 2. Nevertheless, it is
clear that conductive Ni/Cu nonwoven polyester can significantly
improve TENG output performance. This enhancement is completely
explained by the fabric structure of Ni/Cu nonwoven polyester, which
increases the triboelectric surface roughness. Therefore, using the pro­
posed material will significantly improve the electrical output of the
TENG compared to the basic materials with less or no surface roughness
that have been used in TENGs.
S. Zargari et al. Journal of Electrostatics 115 (2022) 103640

Fig. 5. (a) Experimental setup to study the output performance of the TENG. (b) Schematic diagram of the experimental setup. (c) Profile of the applied force on
the TENG.

Fig. 6. Output voltage and current for different groups of TENGs. (a) Open-circuit voltage of TENG 1. (b) Short-circuit current of TENG 1. (c) Open-circuit voltage of
TENG 2. (d) Short-circuit current of TENG 2. (e) Open-circuit voltage of TENG 3. (f) Short-circuit current of TENG 3.

3.2. The effect of surface morphology on TENG performance increases the effective contact area. In this section, we have used
sandpaper to create micro/nanostructures on the surface of Al and Cu to
Adding micro/nanostructures to the surface of triboelectric materials study the effect of surface morphology. If we assume that S is the fixed

6
S. Zargari et al.
dielectric layer area and A indicates the contact area of the patterned
triboelectric surface, we can rewrite equations (2) and (3) like this [39]:
σAx(t)
VOC = (4)
Sε0
Aσ x(t)
QSC = d (5)
εr + x(t)
It should be noted that A is greater than the dielectric layer area (S)
due to the existence of micro/nanostructures. For the untreated case, S
will be equal to A, and equations (4) and (5) will be the same as equa­
tions (2) and (3). Based on equations (4) and (5), it is clear that adding
more micro/nanostructures to the triboelectric contact surface will
improve the TENG performance. As depicted in Fig. 7a, c, when the
patterned Al and flat PTFE were pressed and separated (denoted as
TENG 4), the output voltage was approximately 244 V. This value was
approximately 192 V when the patterned Cu and flat PTFE were
examined (denoted as TENG 5).
The output voltages of TENG 4 and TENG 5 have increased by 6%
and 9% compared to TENG 1 and TENG 2, respectively. This difference
in output voltage could be explained based on the difference in the
effective contact area of patterned metals and flat PTFE. The output
currents of the TENG 4 and TENG 5 are shown in Fig. 7b, d. The output
currents followed the same trend as the output voltages. For TENG 4 and
TENG 5, an output current of 7.8 μA and 6.1 μA flowed through the
external circuit when they pressed against each other and released.
As can be seen from Fig. 7a–d, patterning the contact surface of Al
and Cu has increased the output performance of TENGs, but the per­
formance of these TENGs is still much lower than TENG 3 (see Fig. 6e
Fig. 7. The output performance of studied TENGs. (a) Open-circuit voltage of TENG 4. (b) Short-circuit current of TENG 4. (c) Open-circuit voltage of TENG 5. (d)
Short-circuit current of TENG 5. (e) Open-circuit voltage of TENG 6. (f) Short-circuit current of TENG 6.
7
Journal of Electrostatics 115 (2022) 103640
and f). Therefore, we considered the upper triboelectric layer material
from the conductive Ni/Cu nonwoven polyester and examined the PTFE
patterning effect. As shown in Fig. 7e and f, when the Ni/Cu nonwoven
polyester and patterned PTFE were examined (denoted as TENG 6), the
output voltage and current reached 449 V and 23.5 μA, respectively.
These are the highest values among the five different TENG forms. The
existence of the micro/nanostructure in the Ni/Cu nonwoven polyester
surface and patterned PTFE film produces the most extensive surface
contact area, leading to a higher output voltage and current.
3.3. Enhancement of surface charge density by corona discharging
According to equations (2) and (3), increasing the surface charge
density will directly increase the output voltage and current of the
TENG. To evaluate the effect of surface charge density on the electrical
outputs of the TENG, the flat and patterned PTFE films were charged
prior to assembling using corona discharge on both sides. We prepared
two more groups of vertical contact-separation mode TENG devices: a
TENG with conductive Ni/Cu polyester and negatively charged flat PTFE
layers (denoted as TENG 7) and a TENG with conductive Ni/Cu poly­
ester and negatively charged patterned PTFE layers (denoted as TENG
8). In fact, TENG 7 and TENG 8 can be considered improved versions of
TENG 3 and TENG 6, respectively.
The investigations were carried out under the same experimental
conditions, as explained in section 3.1, using TENG 7 and TENG 8.
Approximate VOC and ISC values were measured based on obtained re­
sults, as shown in Fig. 8a–d. Peak VOC values of 871 V and 943 V and
peak ISC values of 43.1 μA and 50 μA were achieved for TENG 7 and
TENG 8, respectively.
S. Zargari et al. Journal of Electrostatics 115 (2022) 103640

Fig. 8. Electrical outputs of studied TENGs. (a) The open-circuit voltage of TENG 7. (b) Open-circuit voltage of TENG 8. (c) Short-circuit current of TENG 7. (d) Short-
circuit current of TENG 8.

The charge pre-implanted TENG presented a remarkable improve­

Table 3
ment in output voltage and current compared to the previously fabri­
Transferred charges between the electrodes of the studied TENGs in short-circuit
cated TENGs. The output voltage and current of TENG 7 are 3 and 2.87
condition.
times higher than the output voltage and current of TENG 3, respec­
tively. In TENG 8, the output voltage and current are 2.1 and 2.12 times 1TENG Transferred charges in pressing Transferred charges in releasing
# state (nC) state (nC)
higher than the output voltage and current of TENG 6, respectively.
Table 2 summarizes the triboelectric materials of eight fabricated TENGs TENG 1 24.8 20.6
TENG 2 19.9 14.7
and employed methods to enhance their output performance.
TENG 3 31.6 25.1
The area under the current-time curve is equal to the number of TENG 4 27.2 20.9
transferred charges between the electrodes. Table 3 illustrates the TENG 5 21.2 16.9
number of transferred charges between the electrodes in short-circuit TENG 6 48.3 39.6
condition during the pressing and releasing states based on the results TENG 7 101.8 79.6
TENG 8 118.9 90.4

Table 2 presented in Fig. 8a–d. According to the presented results, by creating

Triboelectric pair materials of fabricated TENGs and the method of increasing micro/nanostructures on the contact surface and increasing the surface
output performance. charge density, the amount of electrical charge transferred between the
TENG Triboelectric Triboelectric The method of increasing electrodes increases throughout each cycle, thus improving the output
# material 1 material 2 the output performance performance of the TENG.
TENG Flat Al Flat PTFE – Fig. 9 summarizes the results of practical experiments on all fabri­
1 cated TENGs and compares their performance. The extraordinary
TENG Flat Cu Flat PTFE – improvement in output electrical characteristics of TENG 7 and TENG 8
2
results from increasing the surface charge density induced by the corona
TENG Conductive Ni/Cu Flat PTFE • Using novel triboelectric
3 nonwoven material discharging process. The higher output voltage and current of TENG 8
polyester were also attributed to the micro/nano-patterned PTFE surface
TENG Patterned Al Flat PTFE • Increasing triboelectric compared to the flat PTFE surface of TENG 7.
4 contact area using
imprinting method
TENG Patterned Cu Flat PTFE • Increasing triboelectric 4. Conclusion
5 contact area using
imprinting method In this study, several groups of TENGs in a typical vertical contact-
TENG Conductive Ni/Cu Patterned PTFE • Using novel triboelectric
separation mode have been studied on the basis of choosing the best
6 nonwoven material
polyester • Increasing triboelectric materials for TENG fabrication, surface morphology, and charge density
contact area using enhancement techniques. Conductive Ni/Cu nonwoven polyester was
imprinting method used as a triboelectric layer, and it was shown that this material could
TENG Conductive Ni/Cu Negatively • Using novel triboelectric increase TENG performance and drastically reduce manufacturing costs.
7 nonwoven charged flat PTFE material
polyester • Increasing triboelectric
A small and low-cost boost step-up power module mechanism was
charge density using introduced to implant charges into the surface of electrets to boost the
corona discharging TENG output performance. The experimental results confirmed that the
TENG Conductive Ni/Cu Negatively • Using novel triboelectric proposed method for the corona discharging process significantly in­
8 nonwoven charged patterned material
creases the TENG output performance. Moreover, this method was
polyester PTFE • Increasing triboelectric
contact area using developed at a low cost with a fast fabrication process for all types of
imprinting method TENGs. It was shown that using the introduced conductive Ni/Cu
• Increasing triboelectric nonwoven polyester and patterning the electret surfaces using the
charge density using imprinting method can further enhance the output performance of
corona discharging
TENGs.

8
S. Zargari et al.
Fig. 9. Overview of the fabricated TENGs output performance.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful for the technical support and discussion of
the Low Power Energy Harvesting Laboratory group members in AAU
Energy, Aalborg University, Denmark.
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.elstat.2021.103640.
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