In-situ welding and thermal activation enabled robust nanofibers based triboelectric nanogenerator for sustainable energy harvesting

Nanofiber-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) show great promise in energy harvesting and sensing applications. However, the poor strength and the instability of the nanofiber structures lead to the constraints on the durability and the lack of stability in the output performance. In this study, BaTiO₃@PVDF-HFP nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning, in which BaTiO₃ nanoparticles enhanced the charge trapping ability of the nanofibers and provided nucleation sites for β-phase growth. Subsequent solvent and annealing treatment in-situ welded the nanofibers, which greatly improved the mechanical strength and stability of the nanofiber membranes. The annealing process further thermally activated the electroactive β-phase in the PVDF-HFP, which increased the surface charge density of the nanofibers. A flexible TENG based on BaTiO₃@PVDF-HFP-p nanofiber was prepared to harvest mechanical energy, which could achieve a maximum output of 482.5 V and 1.9 W m⁻², the voltage is more than 1.2–1.5 times higher compared to uncrosslinked nanofibers. The BaTiO₃@PVDF-HFP-p-based TENG maintains ultra-stable V_oc generation over 7000 cycles compared to the nanofibers without solvent and annealing treated. Finally, its practical application in harvesting ambient mechanical energy was demonstrated, which can harvest wind energy to power LEDs and small electronic devices such as temperature and humidity sensors. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd.