Carrying handle of milk carton inspired multi-layer, easy-to-assemble triboelectric nanogenerators for human motion sensing

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) can convert multiple energy sources into electricity, and suffer from the problems of the single structure and high cost at the present stage. In this work, the multi-layer TENG inspired by the carrying handle of milk cartons (IH-TENG) is proposed, which has a uniform template, facilitating the realization of mass production, and it is easy to assemble without any auxiliary tools and materials in the assembly process. The support component and friction positive material of this structure are derived from recycled polypropylene (PP) and cotton cloth, which are very friendly to the environment. The open-circuit voltage and short_circuit current of IH-TENG can achieve 113.6 V and 2.4 μA, respectively. Under an external load of 50 MΩ, the maximum output power density is 9.2 μW cm⁻². What’s more, we also propose a stacked structure to improve the output performance of IH-TENG. The stacked TENG (3 units) open-circuit voltage and short_circuit current are 1.44 times and 1.83 times of IH-TENG (2 units), respectively. In addition, IH-TENG can act as both human motion sensors to detect the motion status of body parts and a self-powered power source to power 53 LED lights, watches, and other appliances.