Diketopyrrolopyrrole-based conjugated polymers containing planar benzo[c]cinnoline and tetraazapyrene structures for high-performance and long-term stable triboelectric nanogenerators

Abstract

In this work, diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based conjugated polymers, benzo[c]cinnoline/diketopyrrolopyrrole (BZC–DPP) and tetraazapyrene/diketopyrrolopyrrole (TAP–DPP), are incorporated as the surface modification layer for a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). Both polymers exhibit high planarity and extended π-electron delocalization, which can facilitate the electron transfer between the triboelectric layers. Compared with BZC–DPP, TAP–DPP possesses stronger electron-withdrawing ability, which would be beneficial for the generation of triboelectric charges. Consequently, the TENG based on TAP–DPP delivers an open circuit voltage (V_oc) of 328 V, a short circuit current (I_sc) of 27 μA, and an instantaneous power density of 2.4 W m⁻². Additionally, the resulting TENG retains an almost comparable V_oc even after continuous operation up to 200 000 cycles. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first successful demonstration of using DPP-based conjugated polymers as the surface modification layer for high-performance and long-term stable TENGs. This work can not only open a new avenue for efficient and stable TENGs using DPP-based conjugated polymers as the surface modification layer, but also stimulate further research efforts towards the development of new conjugated polymers for versatile applications of TENGs.