Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered a way to produce electricity from random mechanical motion using triboelectric nanogenerators. These are devices fabricated from flexible polymeric materials with a high degree of transparency. Rubbing the surface of these devices can generate alternating current from friction.
The research was published in the June issue of Nano Letters. The proponents of the study were Zhong Lin Wang, Feng-Ru Fan, Long Lin, Guang Zhu, Wenzhuo Wu and Rui Zhang. Fan is also connected with Xiamen University of China.Triboelectric nanogenerator operates when a sheet of polyester rubs against a sheet made from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The polyester donates electrons while the PDMS accepts electrons. When the two surfaces are mechanically separated, a voltage drop develops between them. Connecting an electrical circuit between them causes a current flow to equalize the charge differential.
