Enhanced Nanofiber-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerators via Double-Sided Electrospinning on Electroconductive Mesh Intermediate Layers.

Abstract

Among various physical modification approaches to enhance triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) performance, the use of metal meshes as both templates and electrodes for nanofiber (NF) mat fabrication has attracted significant attention. However, increasing the NF mat thickness on the mesh often reduces its surface roughness, which results in weaker contact electrification and ultimately degrades the overall power generation efficiency of the TENG. Therefore, this study proposes a triple-layer TENG design, where polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) NFs are electrospun onto one side of a metal mesh to function as the friction layer, while a charge-storage layer is formed on the opposite side. Electrospinning PVDF NFs onto a 300 mesh for 30 min maximized the effective contact area of the friction layer. A 60 wt % polystyrene (PS)/PVDF blend achieved an optimal balance between the charge-trapping capability of PS and the high dielectric constant of PVDF. The resulting triple-layer TENG demonstrated a significantly enhanced output voltage compared to single- and double-layer configurations. Furthermore, the time to reach maximum charge storage capacity was reduced because of the improved charge transport efficiency enabled by the metal mesh. The metal mesh not only facilitated surface engineering of the friction layer to enhance contact electrification but also enabled the transport of triboelectric charges from the friction layer to the storage layer, thereby amplifying the electrostatic induction of the TENG. This study presents a scalable, cost-effective approach for fabricating high-performance TENGs suitable for wearable electronics, self-powered sensors, and sustainable energy-harvesting systems.