Flexible/wearable sensors based on triboelectric nanogenerators
Fang Yi
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University,
Guangzhou 510275, Guangdong, P. R. China
E-mail: yifang@mail.sysu.edu.cn
Abstract
Flexible/wearable electronics that exceed the scope of rigid, brittle and planar nature of traditional micro/macro electronics are an emerging class of electronics receiving significant attention. They can conform to complex, curvilinear surfaces while maintaining levels of performance, which enable a wide range of applications such as electronic skins, implantable devices, robotics, smart textiles, and prosthetics. In the meanwhile, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are mechanical energy harvesters that were first proposed in 2012, which can harvest mechanical energy and also work as self-powered sensors. Owing to the advantages including various working modes, abundant material choices, and low cost, triboelectric nanogenerators have been applied as flexible/wearable sensors and gained intensive attention. Here, our recent studies on the TENGs as flexible/wearable sensors and their potential applications will be presented. The unique working mechanisms, device structures, challenges, and prospects will also be discussed.
Short Bio
Fang Yi received her B.S. degree from Central South University, and Ph.D degree from University of Science and Technology Beijing, in Prof. Yue Zhang’s group. She was a visiting student at Georgia Institute of Technology, in Prof. Zhong Lin Wang’s group, from 2013-2015. She was a postdoc at Peking University, in Prof. Zhongfan Liu’s group, from 2016-2018. She is now a professor at Sun Yat-sen University. Her research interest focuses on energy conversion and storage, flexible/wearable materials and devices, and self-powered power systems.