High-Performance and Low-Cost Overhead Projector Sheet-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Self-Powered Cholesteric Liquid Crystal, Electroluminescence, and Portable Electronic Devices

Low output power, intricate device designs, limitation on scalability, limited production capability, and higher fabrication cost are the major hurdles to use triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) as a power source in self-powered device applications. This work reports a high-performance, simple design, and inexpensive TENG using overhead projector (OHP) sheets and ZnO nanosheet array films. The fabricated TENG produced a maximum output voltage, current, and power density of ∼292 V, ∼55 μA, and ∼424.8 mW/m2 for each hand slapping force, respectively. The charged nature of one side of the OHP sheet is responsible for obtaining the high-power density reported in this communication. Further, the TENG has shown excellent stability over a period of 6 months and more than 10,000 test cycles. The stability of ZnO nanosheets is excellent even the after 10,000 test cycles. The TENG’s AC output is utilized to control the optical characteristics of the cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) devices. CLC devices are demonstrated for mobile security, optical switch, webcam security, and self-powered smart windows or e-paper displays. Further, we have demonstrated self-powered electroluminescence and portable electronic devices. The current work has potential applications in portable, wearable, and self-powered electronic devices due to its high power density, simple design, minimal cost, and scalability.