Paper-Based Origami Triboelectric Nanogenerators and Self-Powered Pressure Sensors

Abstract

Discovering renewable and sustainable power sources is indispensable for the development of green electronics and sensor networks. In this paper, we present origami triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) using paper as the starting material, with a high degree of flexibility, light weight, low cost, and recyclability. Slinky- and doodlebug-shaped TENGs can be easily fabricated by properly folding printer papers. The as-fabricated TENGs are capable of harvesting ambient mechanical energy from various kinds of human motions, such as stretching, lifting, and twisting. The generated electric outputs have been used to directly light-up commercial LEDs. In addition, the as-fabricated TENGs can also serve as self-powered pressure sensors.

Electrically Activated Paper Actuators

“…cost, weight, printability, and porosity), HEPAs could be useful in applications benefitting from monolithic integration in paper-based printed microfluidic [6][7][8][9][10] and electronic devices, [16][17][18][19][20][21][22] paper MEMS, [16,23,24] printable and foldable micro machines, [24][25][26] and robots. [25,27,40] Their speed of actuation, and the force they produce, however, is low (by standards of more conventional electromagnetic and pneumatic / hydrolic systems), but they are also lighter, much less expensive, and much more easily integrated with paper devices (diagnostic, bioanalytical, and electromechanical systems, for example) than are the more universal systems.…”

“…The ability to fabricate small (sub mm-scale) porous wires of PEDOT:PSS that extend across the full thickness of a sheet of paper by using capillary wicking of an aqueous suspension of PEDOT:PSS into a channel defined by wax-printed walls, is a new fabrication technique with the potential for wide application in paper-based devices and machines, especially when folding and creasing are an issue. [24][25][26] …”

“…[16,23,24] A missing component for paper-based devices is an electrically controlled actuator that is embedded within the paper, can be fabricated by printing, and continues to operate when the paper that supports it is creased and/or folded. Paper actuators that fulfill these requirements have the potential to allow control of liquid transport in paperbased microfluidic devices, to enable assembly of micro machines through self-folding, [24][25][26] and to serve as microactuators for paper devices. [25,27] If mechanical work could be performed with paper actuators, we could build new kinds of "paper-based machines".…”

High-throughput shadow mask printing of passive electrical components on paper by supersonic cluster beam deposition

“…Its low cost and availability is ideal for rapid prototyping, it can be easily shaped and trimmed with scissors or cutters, and it can be used for complex self-standing 3D structures, fluidics, and electrochemical applications. [3][4][5][6][7] Printing on paper relies on a technological tradition dating back from almost two thousand years and originating from China; it became a mass-producing technology in Europe from the fifteenth century. 7 The direct printing of electronic components with various degrees of complexity on paper has taken inspiration from this tradition, and it is based on techniques such as flexography, offset, and screen printing.…”

“…[1][2][3] Recently, the interest for the use of paper as a substrate for foldable electronic components such as antennas and actuators has substantially increased in view of the realization of the so-called origami electronics, 4,5 self-foldable kirigami soft robots, 6 and power portable emergency locator transmitters based on origami microbial fuel cells. 3 These applications rely on the so-called "chip-on-flex technologies" where electronic components have typical dimension of tens or hundreds of microns so miniaturization is not a critical issue.…”