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[Display omitted] • PDMS surface is wrinkled by using an rf-sputtered ZnO sacrificial layer. • The optimal power density of wrinkle TENG increases by 78.5 times than the flat one. • The simulation proves the wrinkled surface can promote TENGs' output performance. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) can convert mechanical energy to electricity. Its conversion efficiency strongly depends on the contact area of the triboelectric materials. Here, a simple strategy is developed to wrinkle the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by using an rf-sputtered ZnO sacrificial layer. The resulting TENG device demonstrates improved triboelectric performance in contrast to its counterpart fabricated on a flat PDMS. The optimal open circuit voltage (V OC), short circuit current (I SC) and pulse output power density with matched external load are 170 V, 8.7 × 10-7 A and 189 μW/cm2, which are 8.9, 2.2 and 78.5 times higher than those of the flat device, respectively. This simple and efficient method may hopefully promote the application of TENG in the field of flexible wearable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]