Dopamine polymerization tunes triboelectric interface

Polarizable layers can tune the electronic work functions between the triboelectric plates and vary the output performance triboelectric nanogenerator, while highly reactive molecules even change both the bio- and chemical properties of the polar surface, enabling their environmental and healthcare applications. In this work, we use the polydopamine (pDA) to functionalize the triboelectric interface by incubating the polarplate in a weak alkaline dopamine solution. This polymerization method is proven to be simple and versatile. The short circuit current and open circuit voltage of the pDA-modified single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator (pDA-S-TENG) are increased by 274.0% and 166.7%, respectively. This enhancement is so significant that the output from a palm-sized device is capable of driving more than 38 light-emitting diodes and charging supercapacitors directly for wearable electronics. In addition, this pDA-S-TENG-based flexible device can response linearly toward dynamic force with a high sensitivity of about 670 mu A Mpa(-1). Interestingly, the as-prepared pDA-S-TENG also presents excellent sterilization ability. The antibacterial rate is up to 99.75% and can be ascribed to the synergistic effect observed on the pDA-S-TENG interface. These advantages have made the pDA polymerization a valuable interfacial tuning strategy for developing TENG-based self-powered sensors and wearable electronics.