Waterproof Triboelectric Nanogenerators Based on Ag Nanoparticle/Chitosan Composites for Transmitting Morse Code

Owing to their degradability, environmental friendliness, and low cost, natural polymers have been widely utilized in the fabrication of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). Chitosan is a natural polymer containing long chains of n-acetylamino glucose. However, the low dielectric constant of pure chitosan films affects their electrical properties. Therefore, in this study, to improve their electrical output performance, the dielectric constant of the films was increased by the incorporation of conductive nanoparticles. Highly transparent Ag/Chitosan films were successfully constructed, and the output performance was improved by varying the concentration of Ag nanoparticles (100–200 nm). At a concentration of 6 wt %, the open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and transferred charge reached 74 V, 4.6 μA, and 23.8 nC, respectively, with a maximum output power of 83 μW. Besides, the fabricated friction-based nanogenerator (AC-TENG) lit 20 blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and successfully drove a commercial calculator, which verified its practical application potential. Finally, the AC-TENG was used to transmit Morse code, successfully sending the signals “HELP” and “SOS”, which might open opportunities in the field of communication application.