Research Projects

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are now being explored as an alternative power source for small-scale electronic devices. Current generation TENGs with 1D architecture such as nano/micro fibers or thick fibers show improved performance and provides a pathway towards high energy output TENGs due to the high contact surface area between the tribo-polymers there by increasing the triboelectrification process. In addition to that incorporation of nano-fillers of high dielectric constant (k) materials into the tribo-polymer fibers improve the electrostatic induction. The proposed work is to further improve the output performance of TENGs in both the ways producing a composite nano-fibers of tribo-polymers with incorporation of colossal k materials, such as entropy stabilized oxides, in the form of nano-fibers and nano-particles. All the ceramic and composite polymer nano-fibers are proposed to be produced through the in-house build centrifugal fiber spinning machine due to its high production rate and on-par performance with electro-spun nano-fibers. The fabricated TENGs are envisaged to power up small-scale wearable electronic gadgets such as smart watches, pulse and blood pressure detection systems.