A triboelectric nanogenerator based on food packaging Aluminium foil and Parafilm for self-powered electronics

Abstract

The increasing food packaging waste is a severe concern for air, water, and soil pollution. In this research work, a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is fabricated using waste food packaging Aluminium cover foils and laboratory parafilm for the first time. The device novelty lies in the selection of the materials; parafilm and food packing Aluminium cover foils. The proposed TENG produced an output voltage and instantaneous power density of∼4 Vand 11.8nWcm−2, respectively, by hand excitation force. Further, TENGcan easily power up 85 commercial light-emitting diodes, digital watch, thermometer, and calculator with the help of charged capacitor. The proposed TENG demonstrated the ease of process, simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and reduction of pollution. Further, thisTENGperformance can be improved with other triboelectric materials and applied in selfpowered portable electronic device applications.