Surface Triboelectric Charges and Displacement Current on Rubber Surface for Stretchable Power Suppliers and Sensors

Ying-Chih Lai^1*, Hsing-Mei Wu¹

¹材料系, 中興大學, 台中, Taiwan

* Presenter:Ying-Chih Lai, email:lai423@gmail.com

Deformable devices have attracted huge interest because they can not only extend the applications of smart systems but also enable compliant user experience. Driving those devices inevitably need power sources. Yet, conventional power sources such as batteries suffer from not only heavy weight and bulky volume but also limited capacity and lifetime. In this present, we will demonstrate the use of surface triboelectric charges on a rubber surface to enable a super-stretchable and mechanically-durable energy source. The device can generate electricity from touching with other materials. Its fundamental mechanism comes from the surface-charge polarization and displacement current. The inherent stretchable device can retain its functionality even when it is extremely deformed or experienced tearing damages. With the perfect flexibility, the device can be fully conformal on various nonplanar or irregular objects, including human bodies, spheres, and tubes, etc., to act as power sources for other components. The device can also be introduced into fabric materials for wearable energy and fabric-based self-powered sensing uses. Furthermore, a pressure-sensitive structure will be designed on the device for the use of stretchable self-powered electronic and artificial sensing skins. These works can open the crucial doors for tremendous applications in wearable electronics, artificial sensory skins, and intelligent robots.

Keywords: surface charges, displacement current, stretchable electronics