Ali Ghaffarinejad, Xabier Garcia-Casas, Fernando Nunez-Galvez, Jorge Budagosky, Vanda Godinho, Carmen Lopez-Santos, Juan Ramon Sanchez-Valencia, Angel Barranco, Ana Borras
Device, Volume 0, Issue 0, 100566
DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2024.100566
Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are the most promising technology for harvesting energy from low-frequency liquid flows and impacts such as rain droplets. However, current drop energy harvester technologies suffer from low output power due to limitations in triboelectric materials, suboptimal device designs, and the inability to fully capture the kinetic energy of falling drops. This article introduces a microscale TENG capable of efficiently converting drop impact energy into electrical power in a single, rapid step. The device features a capacitive structure that enhances energy conversion through instantaneous capacitance changes when the drops contact the submillimetric top electrodes. This compact design establishes a path toward the development of dense arrays and rain panels and is adaptable to various liquids, scales, triboelectric surfaces, and thin-film configurations, including flexible and transparent materials.