With new inventions old ones are becoming just past and in the same way searching for a power will soon become an outlet. An instead electricity will be passed to the devices from small metallic tab that when attached to the human body, are capable enough of generating electricity from bending a finger and other simple movements.
The team harnessed the power to produce their own energy power as explained by lead author Qiaoqiang Gan, PhD, associate professor of electrical engineering in UB’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
The occurrence of the triboelectric charge in certain materials is observed when electrically charged after coming in contact with different materials and the triboelectric is found in everyday static electricity. Numerous nanogenerators had been proposed by researchers for the utilization of triboelectric effect; however, mostly of them were difficult to manufacture as well as not cost effective.
The device is developed with two thin layers of gold, with polydimethylsiloxane sandwiched in between. Polydimethylsiloxane is also known as PDMS, a type of silicon-based polymer used in contact lenses i.e. silly putty and other products. The crucial part of device is that one layer of gold is stretched and leading to the cause of crumpling upon release and creations similar like a miniature mountain range.
After reapplying the force for example from a finger bending, the motion leads to friction between the gold layers and PDMS. The reason behind the flow back of electrons and forth between the gold is because of PDMS.
Layers are developing more friction and leading to greater power generation. In the study described a small tab of 1.5 centimetres long and by 1 centimetre wide. The device voltage delivery is 124 volts, a maximal current of 10 microamps along with the maximum power density of 0.22 milliwatts per square centimetre. Charging of smartphone may not be possible but 48 red LED lights simultaneously.
