Quantum mechanics

Power density

Voltage

Engineering

Materials science

Power (physics)

Dissipation

Thermodynamics

Physics

Triboelectric effect

Composite material

Piezoelectricity

Electron

Current density

Nanogenerator

Thermionic emission

Optoelectronics

Electrical engineering

Nature Communications

Usually, high temperature decreases the output performance of triboelectric nanogenerator because of the dissipation of triboelectric charges through the thermionic emission. Here, a temperature difference triboelectric nanogenerator is designed and fabricated to enhance the electrical output performance in high temperature environment. As the hotter friction layer’s temperature of nanogenerator is 0 K to 145 K higher than the cooler part’s temperature, the output voltage, current, surface charge density and output power are increased 2.7, 2.2, 3.0 and 2.9 times, respectively (from 315 V, 9.1 μA, 19.6 μC m −2 , 69 μW to 858 V, 20 μA, 58.8 μC m −2 , 206.7 μW). With the further increase of temperature difference from 145 K to 219 K, the surface charge density and output performance gradually decrease. At the optimal temperature difference (145 K), the largest output current density is 443 μA cm −2 , which is 26.6% larger than the reported record value (350 μA cm −2 ).

High performance temperature difference triboelectric nanogenerator