Indian scientists develop nanogenerator for use in self powering devices

What is the News? 

A team of Indian scientists have developed a transparent triboelectric nanogenerator device. 

About Triboelectric Nanogenerator(TENG)?  

• A triboelectric nanogenerator(TENG) is a self-powered device that makes use of mechanical energy in the form of vibrations present everywhere in different forms to generate electricity. 

• Working: 

• It works on the principle of creation of electrostatic charges via instantaneous physical contact of two dissimilar materials followed by generation of potential difference when a mismatch is introduced between the two contacted surfaces through a mechanical force.  
• This mechanism drives the electrons to move back and forth between the conducting films coated on the back of the tribo layers. 

• Technique used: The device was developed using the simpler doctor’s blade technique along with polyethylene terephthalate(PET) as tribo layers. 

• Doctor’s blade technique is one of the widely used techniques for producing thin films on large area surfaces. 

• Significance: The device could light up 11 LEDs by gentle hand tapping and could be a potential candidate for use in optoelectronics, self-powered devices and other biomedical applications. 

• Optoelectronics is the field of technology concerned with electronic device application to the sourcing, detection and control of light. 

Source: PIB