Whirligig-inspired triboelectric nanogenerator with ultrahigh specific output as reliable portable instant power supply for personal health monitoring devices

With lightweight, high energy conversion and low cost, the triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have presented its tremendous potential as a portable sustainable power source to small-scale portable/wearable electronic device. However, the insufficient output power of TENG is a bottleneck for its practical applications. Here, we report an ultrahigh output power, a whirligig-inspired TENG (Wi-TENG) designed according to an antiqueue whirligig toy that is capable of converting low-frequency pulling motion into a high-frequency rotation. It shows that the rotor in the Wi-TENG achieves a maximum speed of 11,250 rpm. Ultrahigh charge transfer quantity of ~ 310 μC and output power of 40.18 mW are obtained by per pulling of Wi-TENG. Moreover, a maximum short-circuit current of 317 μA and a constant open-circuit voltage peak value of 153 V can be generated by the Wi-TENG, which can rapidly charge a commercial capacitance (100 μF) to ~14 V within 10 s. After power management, this Wi-TENG is successfully demonstrated as a portable sustainable power source for driving a commercial blood glucose meter or a temperature-humidity sensor. This study presents the potential of Wi-TENG as a reliable portable instant power supply for personal health monitoring devices.