Study and fabrication of rain triboelectric nanogenerator based on laser-induced graphene interdigital electrode

Abstract

In this work, the rain triboelectric nanogenerator (R-TENG) based on laser induced graphene (LIG) interdigital electrode was developed to harvest rain energy. The R-TENG comprises a LIG interdigital electrode on a polymer substrate with a hydrophobic PDMS layer as a protective layer. When raindrops fall onto the surface of the PDMS layer and move between two adjacent interdigital electrodes, the accumulated charges move back and forth, resulting in the generation of alternating current. The LIG pattern design and the energy collection efficiency were studied by altering the production parameters of the LIG electrode and measuring the droplet diameter on the PDMS surface. For the R-TENG with an electrode width of 3mm is produced with a laser power of 2.1 W, and the output voltage of 2.46 V is generated. Strong hydrophobicity and stable electric output make the R-TENG possess the potential to replace traditional energy sources for agricultural IoT sensors.