Surface-Modified PDMS-Aluminum Triboelectric Generator

This study investigates the performance characteristics of a triboelectric generator utilizing a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-aluminum (Al) bilayer system operating in contact-separation mode. The primary objective is to evaluate the influence of surface modification on the output voltage of the generator. The experimental procedure involves the preparation of an Al layer and PDMS samples with a 4 × 4 cm2 area and a thickness of 2 mm, which were subjected to surface modifications using abrasive paper with grit sizes of 240 CW, 400 CW, 600 CW, and 800 CW. The findings of this study demonstrate that treating the PDMS sample with a 600 CW grade as the negative tribo-material, in combination with treating the Al layer with an 800 CW grade as the p-type material, resulted in a significant 50% increase in output voltage compared with the untreated configuration. This enhanced performance can be attributed to the formation of micro-structured surfaces on both the PDMS and Al layers through surface treatments which facilitates electron transfer within the triboelectric generator. The outcomes of this investigation provide valuable insights into the impact of surface treatment on the performance of PDMS-Al triboelectric generators. The findings contribute to the fundamental understanding of energy harvesting devices and offer opportunities for optimizing the design and fabrication of more efficient triboelectric generators.