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Transparent paper-based triboelectric nanogenerator as a page mark and anti-theft sensor

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Abstract

The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), based on the well-known triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction effect, has been proven to be a simple, cost effective approach for self-powered systems to convert ambient mechanical energy into electricity. We report a flexible and transparent paper-based triboelectric nanogenerator (PTENG) consisting of an indium tin oxide (ITO) film and a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film as the triboelectric surfaces, which not only acts as an energy supply but also as a self-powered active sensor. It can harvest kinetic energy when the sheets of paper come into contact, bend or slide relative to one another by a combination of vertical contact-separation mode and lateral sliding mode. In addition, we also integrate grating-structured PTENGs into a book as a self-powered anti-theft sensor. The mechanical agitation during handling the book pages can be effectively converted into an electrical output to either drive a commercial electronic device or trigger a warning buzzer. Furthermore, different grating-structures on each page produce different numbers of output peaks by sliding relative to one another, which can accurately act as a page mark and record the number of pages turned. This work is a significant step forward in self-powered paper-based devices.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China

    Limin Zhang, Fei Xue, Weiming Du, Changbao Han, Chi Zhang & Zhonglin Wang

  2. School of Material Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA

    Zhonglin Wang

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  1. Limin Zhang
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  2. Fei Xue
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  3. Weiming Du
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  4. Changbao Han
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  5. Chi Zhang
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  6. Zhonglin Wang
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Correspondence to Zhonglin Wang.

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Authors with equal contribution, and authorship order determined by coin toss.

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Zhang, L., Xue, F., Du, W. et al. Transparent paper-based triboelectric nanogenerator as a page mark and anti-theft sensor. Nano Res. 7, 1215–1223 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-014-0484-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-014-0484-1

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