The group of XU Yun at CAS Institute of Semiconductors and GAO Qianqiang at Buffalo University have engineered a flexible TENG based on crumpled gold films. By introducing crumpled morphology onto the gold thin film using macrocontrol, the TENG delivered a maximum voltage of 124.6 V, a maximum current of 10.13 μA and maximum power density of 0.22 mW/cm2. Importantly, the output performance was quite stable, with no obvious degradation after 6-month storage in ambient environment due to the reliability of Au films. Electricity in TENG is generated by body movements such as bending a finger or rotating the wrist. It shows the potential to power wearable electronics by the human body in the future.
CAS news release, March 27, 2018