Enhanced Performance of Microarchitectured PTFE-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator via Simple Thermal Imprinting Lithography for Self-Powered Electronics

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)
technology is an emerging field to harvest various kinds of mechanical
energies available in our living environment. Nowadays, for industrial
and large-scale area applications, developing the TENG with low
device processing cost and high electrical output is a major issue
to be resolved. Herein, we designed a TENG with low cost by employing
the microgrooved architectured (MGA)-poly­(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE;
Teflon) and aluminum as triboelectric materials with opposite tendencies.
Moreover, the MGA-PTFE was fabricated by a single-step, facile, and
cost-effective thermal imprinting lithography technique via micropyramidal
textured silicon as a master mold, fabricated by a wet-chemical etching
method. Therefore, designing the TENG device by following these techniques
can definitely reduce its manufacturing cost. Additionally, the electrical
output of TENG was enhanced by adjusting the imprinting parameters
of MGA-PTFE. Consequently, the MGA-PTFE was optimized at an imprinting
pressure and temperature of 5 MPa and 280 °C, respectively. Thus,
the TENG with an optimal MGA-PTFE polymer exhibited the highest electrical
output. A robustness test of TENG was also performed, and its output
power was used to drive light-emitting diodes and portable electronic
devices. Finally, the real application of TENG was also examined by
employing it as a smart floor and object-falling detector.