Provided is a triboelectricity-based energy harvesting material including a first carbon composite layer, a second carbon composite layer, a first charge layer and a second charge layer applied onto the first carbon composite layer and the second carbon composite layer, respectively, and a spacer that is provided between the first charge layer and the second charge layer and maintains a predetermined interval between the first charge layer and the second charge layer, wherein the spacer is provided only in a partial region of the first charge layer and the second charge layer, and accordingly, the first charge layer and the second charge layer come into contact with each other according to deformation of the material in a region in which the spacer is not provided so as to generate triboelectricity.

Provided is a triboelectricity-based energy harvesting material including a first carbon composite layer, a second carbon composite layer, a first charge layer and a second charge layer applied onto the first carbon composite layer and the second carbon composite layer, respectively, and a spacer that is provided between the first charge layer and the second charge layer and maintains a predetermined interval between the first charge layer and the second charge layer, wherein the spacer is provided only in a partial region of the first charge layer and the second charge layer, and accordingly, the first charge layer and the second charge layer come into contact with each other according to deformation of the material in a region in which the spacer is not provided so as to generate triboelectricity.

A triboelectric personal protective equipment (PPE) includes a first layer of a first triboelectric material; a second layer of a second triboelectric material; a circuit configured to store and transfer triboelectric charge generated from the first layer and the second layer; a third layer and a fourth layer connected to and powered by the circuit. The first triboelectric material and a second triboelectric material have a difference in triboelectric charge density (TECD) of at least 35 μC/m.sup.2. The third layer and the fourth layer provide an electric field that is configured to electrify particles having a size of 10 nm to 10 μm between the third layer and the fourth layer.

A triboelectric personal protective equipment (PPE) includes a first layer of a first triboelectric material; a second layer of a second triboelectric material; a circuit configured to store and transfer triboelectric charge generated from the first layer and the second layer; a third layer and a fourth layer connected to and powered by the circuit. The first triboelectric material and a second triboelectric material have a difference in triboelectric charge density (TECD) of at least 35 μC/m.sup.2. The third layer and the fourth layer provide an electric field that is configured to electrify particles having a size of 10 nm to 10 μm between the third layer and the fourth layer.

The present disclosure is directed to a direct-current (DC) mechanical energy harvesting and storage method and apparatus, which can convert mechanical energy such as environmental vibration, automobile kinetic energy, human body motion, etc. directly into 10 sustained DC electricity, and store the electricity in the same materials. More specifically, the disclosure relates to quantum mechanical tunneling of triboelectric charges through a semiconductor-based sliding unit or its integrated system, and the storage of the charges in the unit or its integrated system. A triboelectric generator and storage device includes a first contact member made from a first material. A second contact member is in slidable contact with the first contact member. The second contact member is made from a second material which forms a Schottky barrier with the first material.

The present disclosure is directed to a direct-current (DC) mechanical energy harvesting and storage method and apparatus, which can convert mechanical energy such as environmental vibration, automobile kinetic energy, human body motion, etc. directly into 10 sustained DC electricity, and store the electricity in the same materials. More specifically, the disclosure relates to quantum mechanical tunneling of triboelectric charges through a semiconductor-based sliding unit or its integrated system, and the storage of the charges in the unit or its integrated system. A triboelectric generator and storage device includes a first contact member made from a first material. A second contact member is in slidable contact with the first contact member. The second contact member is made from a second material which forms a Schottky barrier with the first material.

The importance of architectural asymmetry is investigated to improve the output voltage of TENGs with polyester/spandex blend three-dimensional (3D) spacer fabrics. Different types of TENGs are fabricated by stacking the 3D spacer fabrics, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films, and electrodes with different stack configurations. The 3D spacer fabric TENGs fabricated with higher architectural asymmetry show higher output voltages than those fabricated with lower architectural asymmetry. In particular, the TENG with the PDMS/fabric/fabric configuration shows the highest peak-to-peak output voltage among all types. An increase in the TENG output voltage is attributed to the relatively high architectural asymmetry in the device configuration and the relatively high effective density of triboelectric charge.

The importance of architectural asymmetry is investigated to improve the output voltage of TENGs with polyester/spandex blend three-dimensional (3D) spacer fabrics. Different types of TENGs are fabricated by stacking the 3D spacer fabrics, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films, and electrodes with different stack configurations. The 3D spacer fabric TENGs fabricated with higher architectural asymmetry show higher output voltages than those fabricated with lower architectural asymmetry. In particular, the TENG with the PDMS/fabric/fabric configuration shows the highest peak-to-peak output voltage among all types. An increase in the TENG output voltage is attributed to the relatively high architectural asymmetry in the device configuration and the relatively high effective density of triboelectric charge.

The present disclosure provides a flexible electric generator and methods for fabricating the same. The flexible electric generator comprises a flexible triboelectric layer covering the electrode layer of a flexible piezoelectric generator that enhances output power by combining piezoelectric effect and triboelectric effect. The reliability of the flexible electric generator under bending is also improved due to the presence of the flexible triboelectric layer. The fabrication methods of the disclosed flexible electric generators are simple, thereby enabling large-scale manufacturing.

Provided is a triboelectricity-based energy harvesting material including a first carbon composite layer, a second carbon composite layer, a first charge layer and a second charge layer applied onto the first carbon composite layer and the second carbon composite layer, respectively, and a spacer that is provided between the first charge layer and the second charge layer and maintains a predetermined interval between the first charge layer and the second charge layer, wherein the spacer is provided only in a partial region of the first charge layer and the second charge layer, and accordingly, the first charge layer and the second charge layer come into contact with each other according to deformation of the material in a region in which the spacer is not provided so as to generate triboelectricity.