Power generation from the interaction of a liquid droplet and a liquid membrane

Triboelectric nanogenerators are an energy harvesting technology that relies on the coupling effects of contact electrification and electrostatic induction between two solids or a liquid and a solid. Here, we present a triboelectric nanogenerator that can work based on the interaction between two pure liquids. A liquid-liquid triboelectric nanogenerator is achieved by passing a liquid droplet through a freely suspended liquid membrane. We investigate two kinds of liquid membranes: a grounded membrane and a pre-charged membrane. The falling of a droplet (about 40 μL) can generate a peak power of 137.4 nW by passing through a pre-charged membrane. Moreover, this membrane electrode can also remove and collect electrostatic charges from solid objects, indicating a permeable sensor or charge filter for electronic applications. The liquid-liquid triboelectric nanogenerator can harvest mechanical energy without changing the object motion and it can work for many targets, including raindrops, irrigation currents, microfluidics, and tiny particles.