Self-Powered Buoy Triboelectric Nanogenerator with Nanofiber-Enhanced Surface for Efficient Wave Energy Harvesting

The power supply capacity of ocean buoy systems is the current bottleneck for distributed devices in the ocean. Securing a clean and sustainable energy supply through a wave buoy is an urgent and effective way to harvest blue energy. However, traditional self-powered buoy design usually depends on the floater geometry and sinker sizes, leading to higher fabrication costs. In this work, we designed a nanofiber-enhanced buoy-triggered TENG (B-TENG) with a double helical origami structure, in which the dielectric layer used cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) as an additive for low cost and ease of manufacture. To improve the output power of TENGs, the friction layer Eco/CNC film attached to the tribo-layer and electrode can switch from a 2D planar to 3D origami structure freely and significantly improve the output performance of TENGs. The peak short-circuit current of 3D origami TENG stabilizes over 100 μA on slap loads, with a power density of 13 mW/cm2. Meanwhile, the working mechanism of the 3D origami TENG was also studied using COMSOL software. The corresponding B-TENG can easily light up 100 blue LEDs (rated power, 60 mW) under the slow water wave motions, demonstrating the potential of harvesting blue energy in actual water circumstances. These findings provide invaluable guidance for the performance optimization of a buoy-shaped TENG in practical applications.