Cost-Effective Copper–Nickel-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Corrosion-Resistant and High-Output Self-Powered Wearable Electronic Systems

Recent years, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have attracted increased attention from researchers worldwide. Owing to their conductivity and triboelectric characteristics, metal materials can be made as both triboelectric materials and conductive electrodes. However, the surface of typical metals (such as copper, aluminum, and iron) is likely to be corroded when the sweat generated by human-body movement drops on the surface of TENGs, as this corrosion is detrimental to the output performance of TENGs. In this work, we proposed a novel corrosion-resistant copper–nickel based TENG (CN-TENG). Copper–nickel alloy conductive tape and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape played the role of the triboelectric materials, and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was utilized as the supporting part. The conductive copper–nickel alloy tape also served as a conductive electrode. The open-circuit voltage (V(OC)) and short-circuit current (I(SC)) can arrive at 196.8 V and 6 μA, respectively. Furthermore, peak power density values of 45 μW/cm(2) were realized for the CN-TENG. A series of experiments confirmed its corrosion-resistant property. The approximate value of V(OC) for the fabricated TENG integrated into the shoe reached 1500 V, which is capable of driving at least 172 high-power LEDs in series. The results of this research provide a workable method for supporting corrosion-resistant self-powered wearable electronics.