scholarly journals A high-efficiency bioinspired photoelectric-electromechanical integrated nanogenerator

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sicheng Liu ◽  
Xi Liu ◽  
Guilin Zhou ◽  
Fuxiang Qin ◽  
Mingxing Jing ◽  
...  

AbstractCurrently, the key challenge in triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) is how to efficiently enhance the surface charge density. Here, a new strategy is proposed to increase the surface charge density by comprehensively utilizing solar energy and tidal energy, and a bioinspired photoelectric-electromechanical integrated TENG (Pem-iTENG) is developed. This enhancement of output performance is greatly attributed to the accumulation of photoelectrons from photocatalysis and the triboelectric negative charges from contact electrification. Pem-iTENG shows a maximal open-circuit voltage of 124.2 V and a maximal short-circuit current density of 221.6 μA cm−2 under tidal wave and sunlight, an improvement by nearly a factor of 10 over that of reported TENGs based on solid-liquid contact electrification. More importantly, it exhibits a high energy conversion efficiency according to the evaluation method for solar cells. This work provides insights into development of high-performance TENGs by using different natural energy sources.

Author(s):  
Danial Sharifi Kia ◽  
Shahrzad Towfighian ◽  
Congrui Jin

Energy harvesting using a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been a major area of research in the recent years in order to harvest mechanical energy in different scales. High energy conversion efficiency, broad range of application in different systems and relatively easy fabrication process are among the factors demonstrating essential needs for TENG technology development. Performance of a TENG could be affected by many factors such as the frequency of vibration and the surface charge density. As a key factor in improving the power output of TENGs, surface charge density could be modified by the selection of proper charging materials and by increasing the contact area between the tribo-pairs. Although there have been numerous studies analyzing the performance of different tribo-pairs and different interfacial structures for a TENG, a systematical analysis of the contact phenomena between the interfacial structures in order to investigate the effects of different surface properties and structures such as, surface roughness, dielectric properties or the presence of nanostructures is still not available. In the current study, systematical numerical simulations have been performed on the adhesive contact behavior of the macro/nanostructures at the TENG interface. An interaction potential has been used to represent the adhesive interactions while surface deformations are coupled using half-space Green’s function. Furthermore, effects of the deformation of the interfacial structure on the performance and output of the TENG has been investigated by developing a theoretical model for a vertical-contact-mode TENG using a mass-spring system to represent the motion of the moving electrode. Coupling the theoretical model to the instantaneous deformation of the interfacial structure, real-time output of the TENG in terms of short-circuit voltage and open-circuit current has been studied in response to a predefined pressure input. The results of the current study demonstrate the effects of the deformation of the interfacial structure on the output characteristics of TENGs during the transition between partial-contact to full-contact modes. Numerical simulation results represent acceptable correlations with previously reported experimental data. The simulation package developed in this study is capable of simulating the contact behavior of the interfacial structure and predicting the deformed geometry.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng Zhang ◽  
Qiuxiao Zhu ◽  
Tingting Wang ◽  
Xuchong Wang ◽  
Xiaoping Sun ◽  
...  

Abstract As a green material, cellulose is widely used in friction triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). However, the weak polarity of the cellulose surface leads to its weak contact electrification performance, which is not conducive to its utilization in TENGs. In this study, epoxy chloropropane and ethylenediamine were grafted onto cellulose to form paper and were assembled with an FEP film. The output voltage, current, and surface charge density were 34.9%, 26.7%, and 16.7% higher than those of ordinary paper, respectively. When 20% nano TiO2 filler was added to the paper made from amino-modified cellulose, the output voltage, current, and surface charge density of the TENG increased by 70.9%, 226.7%, and 122.2%, respectively, compared with ordinary paper. As the air humidity of the TENG increased from 60% to 90%, the output voltage, current, and surface charge density were maintained at 53.7%, 38.9%, and 61.0%, respectively. When a 5 × 107 Ω resistor was connected to the working circuit, its output power reached 13.78 μ W·cm2. This showed that cellulose as a green material has wide application prospects in the field of TENG.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1519
Author(s):  
Leixin Ouyang ◽  
Rubia Shaik ◽  
Ruiting Xu ◽  
Ge Zhang ◽  
Jiang Zhe

Many bio-functions of cells can be regulated by their surface charge characteristics. Mapping surface charge density in a single cell’s surface is vital to advance the understanding of cell behaviors. This article demonstrates a method of cell surface charge mapping via electrostatic cell–nanoparticle (NP) interactions. Fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs) were used as the marker to investigate single cells’ surface charge distribution. The nanoparticles with opposite charges were electrostatically bonded to the cell surface; a stack of fluorescence distribution on a cell’s surface at a series of vertical distances was imaged and analyzed. By establishing a relationship between fluorescent light intensity and number of nanoparticles, cells’ surface charge distribution was quantified from the fluorescence distribution. Two types of cells, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and HeLa cells, were tested. From the measured surface charge density of a group of single cells, the average zeta potentials of the two types of cells were obtained, which are in good agreement with the standard electrophoretic light scattering measurement. This method can be used for rapid surface charge mapping of single particles or cells, and can advance cell-surface-charge characterization applications in many biomedical fields.


Author(s):  
Linards Lapčinskis ◽  
Artis Linarts ◽  
Kaspars Mālnieks ◽  
Hyunseung Kim ◽  
Kristaps Rubenis ◽  
...  

In this study, we investigate triboelectrification in polymer-based nanocomposites using identical polymer matrixes containing different concentrations of nanoparticles (NPs). The triboelectric surface charge density on polymer layers increased as the...


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2270
Author(s):  
Joanna Kotyńska ◽  
Monika Naumowicz

Interactions between phospholipid membranes and selected drugs affecting the central nervous system (CNS) were investigated. Small, unilamellar liposomes were used as biomimetic cell membrane models. Microelectrophoretic experiments on two-component liposomes were performed using the electrophoretic light scattering technique (ELS). The effect of both positively (perphenazine, PF) and negatively (barbituric acid, BA) charged drugs on zwitterionic L-α-phosphatidylcholine (PC) membranes were analyzed. Experimental membrane surface charge density (d) data were determined as a function of pH. Quantitative descriptions of the adsorption equilibria formed due to the binding of solution ions to analyzed two-component membranes are presented. Binding constants of the solution ions with perphenazine and barbituric acid-modified membranes were determined. The results of our research show that both charged drugs change surface charge density values of phosphatidylcholine membranes. It can be concluded that perphenazine and barbituric acid are located near the membrane surface, interacting electrostatically with phosphatidylcholine polar heads.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (35) ◽  
pp. 20123-20142
Author(s):  
Hadi Saboorian-Jooybari ◽  
Zhangxin Chen

This research work is directed at development of accurate physics-based formulas for quantification of curvature-dependence of surface potential, surface charge density, and total surface charge for cylindrical and spherical charged particles immersed in a symmetrical electrolyte solution.


Nanoscale ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (27) ◽  
pp. 9668-9675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Jia Shao ◽  
Wei Tang ◽  
Tao Jiang ◽  
Xiang Yu Chen ◽  
Liang Xu ◽  
...  

A multi-dielectric-layered vertical contact-separation mode TENG through a corona discharge approach results in outstanding output performances, i.e., a high surface charge density of 283 μC m−2 and excellent cycling stability (92.6% retention after 200 000 cycles).


2006 ◽  
Vol 910 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Wang ◽  
Matt P. Page ◽  
Eugene Iwancizko ◽  
Yueqin Xu ◽  
Yanfa Yan ◽  
...  

AbstractWe have achieved an independently-confirmed 17.8% conversion efficiency in a 1-cm2, p-type, float-zone silicon (FZ-Si) based heterojunction solar cell. Both the front emitter and back contact are hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) deposited by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD). This is the highest reported efficiency for a HWCVD silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell. Two main improvements lead to our most recent increases in efficiency: 1) the use of textured Si wafers, and 2) the application of a-Si:H heterojunctions on both sides of the cell. Despite the use of textured c-Si to increase the short-circuit current, we were able to maintain the same 0.65 V open-circuit voltage as on flat c-Si. This is achieved by coating a-Si:H conformally on the c-Si surfaces, including covering the tips of the anisotropically-etched pyramids. A brief atomic H treatment before emitter deposition is not necessary on the textured wafers, though it was helpful in the flat wafers. It is essential to high efficiency SHJ solar cells that the emitter grows abruptly as amorphous silicon, instead of as microcrystalline or epitaxial Si. The contact on each side of the cell comprises a thin (< 5 nm) low substrate temperature (~100°C) intrinsic a-Si:H layer, followed by a doped layer. Our intrinsic layers are deposited at 0.3-1.2 nm/s. The doped emitter and back-contact layers were deposited at a higher temperature (>200°C) and grown from PH3/SiH4/H2 and B2H6/SiH4/H2 doping gas mixtures, respectively. This combination of low (intrinsic) and high (doped layer) growth temperatures was optimized by lifetime and surface recombination velocity measurements. Our rapid efficiency advance suggests that HWCVD may have advantages over plasma-enhanced (PE) CVD in fabrication of high-efficiency heterojunction c-Si cells; there is no need for process optimization to avoid plasma damage to the delicate, high-quality, Si wafers.


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