Textile-Triboelectric nanogenerators (T-TENGs) for wearable energy harvesting devices
Ryan Walden, Irthasa Aazem, Aswathy Babu, Suresh C. Pillai
Abstract
The proliferation of triboelectric nanogenerator based devices and the ever-growing demand for wearable electronics has increased the need for potential functional materials for their fabrication. Among the various class of materials investigated in the recent studies, textile-based materials for wearable TENGs have exhibited superior output performance and wearability. This review examines the recent developments made in the field of T-TENGs with respect to prospective materials and design strategies. A categorisation of T-TENGs based on different constructs and configurations of textile materials in conjunction with the fabrication methods employed have been presented. Moreover, a detailed account on the efficiency of various materials and different approaches employed for improving their output has been discussed. Additionally, the review also performs an in-depth look at the major challenges faced by T-TENGs such as low output, washability and stretchability of different component. The review concludes with the prospects of the T-TENGs by addressing the identified limitations associated with the existing strategies.