Flexoelectricity for green energy batteries

绿色能源电池的柔性电力

• 批准号: EP/X026582/1
• 负责人: Daniele Dini
• 金额: $ 26万
• 依托单位: Imperial College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Fellowship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FX026582%2F1
• 关键词: Flexoelectricity; green; energy; batteries

The booming development of innovative technologies, such as portable electronics and sensors, is increasing the demand for renewable power supplies. To meet this demand triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have been recently proposed. TENGs are green energy-harvesting devices that convert mechanical energy into electricity by coupling triboelectricity and electrostatic induction. They can charge batteries and provide energy to self-powered electronics and sensors used for a wide range of applications. This versatility makes TENGs key devices to replace fossil energy and drive the green transition.Their application, however, still faces limitations because once the electronic saturation point is reached the electric output starts to decrease. EXCITON aims at enhancing TENGs performances by exploiting electromechanical effects such as flexoelectricity. Flexoelectricity refers to the generation of electric polarization caused by strain gradients, which are large at the nanoscale and in flexible 2D and polymeric materials, widely used in TENGs fabrication.These effects are strongly enhanced in tribological contact, where high non-uniform stresses can be exploited to increase the electric output and TENGs performance. Indeed, it has been recently suggested that flexoelectricity drives triboelectrification. Providing a fundamental understanding of the interplay between flexo and triboelectricity, EXCITON aims to determine a sound method to permanently improve TENGs performances. I will evaluate the effect of non-uniform deformations on the tribocharging of 2D and polymeric materials by combining ab-initio DFPT and experimental tribometric and KPFM measurements of the electromechanical and triboelectric properties of these materials. The combined theoretical/experimental approach will allow to establish a new protocol for the studies in the field and will constitute a first step towards the application of the outcomes.

便携式电子产品和传感器等创新技术的蓬勃发展正在增加对可再生电源的需求。为了满足这一需求，最近提出了摩擦纳米发电机（TENG）。 TENG 是绿色能量收集装置，通过摩擦电和静电感应的耦合将机械能转化为电能。它们可以为电池充电并为广泛应用的自供电电子设备和传感器提供能量。这种多功能性使 TENG 成为取代化石能源和推动绿色转型的关键设备。然而，它们的应用仍然面临限制，因为一旦达到电子饱和点，电力输出就开始下降。 EXCITON 旨在通过利用挠曲电等机电效应来增强 TENG 的性能。挠曲电是指由应变梯度引起的电极化，应变梯度在纳米级以及柔性二维和聚合物材料中很大，广泛用于TENG的制造。这些效应在摩擦学接触中得到强烈增强，可以利用高非均匀应力来提高电输出和TENG的性能。事实上，最近有人提出柔性电驱动摩擦起电。 EXCITON 旨在提供对柔印和摩擦电之间相互作用的基本了解，旨在确定一种有效的方法来永久提高 TENG 的性能。我将通过结合从头算 DFPT 以及这些材料的机电和摩擦电性能的实验摩擦测量和 KPFM 测量，评估非均匀变形对 2D 和聚合物材料摩擦起电的影响。理论/实验相结合的方法将为该领域的研究建立一个新的协议，并将构成应用结果的第一步。