Nanoporous PVDF Hollow Fiber Employed Piezo–Tribo Nanogenerator for Effective Acoustic Harvesting

Restricted by the inherent property of low power density, acoustic energy can hardly be effectively captured by conventional piezo- or triboelectric nanogenerators for powering miniature electronics. Herein, a novel piezo–tribo hybrid nanogenerator employing nanoporous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) valve, which can mimic the eardrum, has been advocated for efficient acoustic harvesting. The nanoporous, hollow, and valve structure design, together with the effective combination of piezo- and triboelectricity, make the nanoporous PVDF hollow fiber and PDMS valve based acoustic harvester (PHVAH) a promising candidate for acoustic–electric conversion. With an optimal output of 105.5 V and 16.7 μA and a power density of 0.92 W m–2 under the sound stimulation of 117.6 dB and 150 Hz, it can not only recognize audio signals but also convert the sound into electrical energy to light up seven LED bulbs in series. Exhibiting excellent durability and stability, the disruptive innovation proposed here is an effective method for hunting the ubiquitous sound energy in the environment, which provides great potential and impetus for using acoustic–electric conversion to power various low-power-consumption sensors.