This paper presents a temperature difference triboelectric nanogenerator (TDNG) designed to enhance electrical output performance in high-temperature environments. Unlike typical triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) whose output decreases at high temperatures due to thermionic emission, the TDNG leverages a temperature difference between its friction layers. A 145 K temperature difference resulted in a 2.7-fold increase in voltage, 2.2-fold increase in current, 3.0-fold increase in surface charge density, and a 4.9-fold increase in output power compared to a 0 K difference. Further optimization achieved a current density of 443 µA cm⁻², exceeding previous records. The study includes theoretical modeling and experimental validation.

Bolang Cheng, Qi Xu, Yaqin Ding, Suo Bai, Xiaofeng Jia, Yangdianchen Yu, Juan Wen, Yong Qin