Coaxial fiber-type triboelectric nanogenerators with highly stretchability for wearable devices using stretchable electrode mixed carbon nanotube and poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene)

Abstract

Wearable energy harvesting devices as the basic building blocks for independent power sources are highly promising for use in flexible and portable smart electronic applications. Many studies such as electromagnetic, piezoelectric, pyroelectric, etc, have been dedicated in order to harvest energy resources from human body motion to be widely served as a power supply to operate wearable electronics. In this regard, the use of stretchable fiber in triboelectric nanogenerator (SF-TENG) converting sustainable mechanical energy to electricity has emerged as an alternative option for efficient power generation regardless of the surrounding environment. Here, we address the wearable SF-TENG using multiwall carbon nanotube(MWCNT) and poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene) (SIS) block copolymer as stretchable electrode coated on stretchable SIS fiber. SIS block copolymer represent possibility of novel positive material in this work due to highly stretchability, low cost, comfortable fit and recyclable. The SF-TENG demonstrate highly stable outputs under thousands of times tensile test.