Boosting the Triboelectric Performance of PVA Using Carbon Derived from Banana Pseudostem

Abstract

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have emerged as the most promising technology for converting mechanical energy into useful electricity in efforts to investigate sustainable and energy-efficient energy harvesting systems. However, a major consideration is improving the output performance of polymer-based TENG devices. In this research, we present a green and cheap method for enhancing the triboelectric properties of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film by adding porous carbon derived from banana pseudostem. The pseudostem is an abundant agricultural waste from which the carbon powder is obtained. This bio-carbon is introduced into a PVA matrix to establish flexible composite films, which act as the tribo-positive layer in a vertical contact-separation mode TENG. The pseudostem carbon enhanced the dielectric constant, surface roughness, and charge trapping capacity of the PVA composite, thereby increasing the triboelectric outputs. At the optimum concentration of carbon powder, the TENG delivers a maximum output voltage of 25.523 volts, a maximum output current of 1.027 μA, and a maximum power density of 10.485 mW/m², all significantly better than PVA. This research opens up another avenue for environmentally friendly sustainability.