A triboelectric textile templated by a three-dimensionally penetrated fabric

Abstract

Commercially available 3D spacer fabrics with a three-dimensionally penetrated structure are directly coated with PDMS to fabricate triboelectric textiles without a multilayer structure and metal materials. The resulting triboelectric textile with a size of 5 × 5 cm² and a thickness of 8 mm generates an open-circuit voltage up to −500 V and a short-circuit current amplitude of 20 μA, corresponding to a peak power density of 153.8 mW m⁻² at a load resistance of 1 GΩ. In addition, the performance of the triboelectric textile depends on its thickness, area, the frequency and force of pressing and remains stable after pressing and releasing for over 3000 cycles. Besides, in order to prove that the triboelectric textile is a reliable power source, a LCD and 49 LEDs lit up by a TET without any energy storage unit or rectification circuit have been exhibited apparently. The ingenious structure and simple fabrication are unique advantages of the triboelectric textile, which make it possible to realize practical applications and industrialization.