Scalable fabrication of stretchable and washable textile triboelectric nanogenerators as constant power sources for wearable electronics

The textile-based triboelectric nanogenerator (tTENG) is one of the most promising energy harvesting devices for realizing self-powered smart textiles and wearable electronics. Herein, we report a scalable machine-knitting fabrication of stretchable, washable and breathable tTENGs for harvesting human motion energies. A plating stitch technique is employed to fabricate tTENGs using various common yarn materials and working in different modes (coplanar sliding mode and contact-separation mode). The tTENG can output voltage up to 232 V and power density up to 66.13 mW/m2. Furthermore, it can constantly power different wearable electronics by integrating with a small-size power management module, which converts the irregular AC output to a stable DC output and improves the energy utilization of tTENG. The stretchability, washability and air permeability of the tTENG are also demonstrated. These findings provide a practically viable textile-based power source that holds great promise in future self-powered wearable electronics and smart textiles.