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Unusual nanogenerator created in Switzerland
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Specialists from one of the most prestigious universities in Europe, located in Switzerland, with the support of Tokyo scientists have created a device that can power small electronic devices. A distinctive feature of the new device is that it was created using the most common materials that almost each of us uses in our daily lives. Scientists note that the energy produced will be enough to power an LCD screen, several diodes and other small devices, especially the new device is suitable for use in developing countries in medical diagnostic devices that consume little electricity.
The new device is small - only 8 cm2 and consists of two ordinary sheets of paper, on which a graphite carbon layer is applied (using the well-known pencil). It is the carbon layer that acts as electrodes and the compact device is capable of producing more than 3 volts of energy - enough to power a remote control. The free side of one of the sheets is covered with Teflon, and in combination they (the coating and the paper) act as insulators. In essence, the new device generates static electricity.
The scientists explained that the entire structure was assembled using scotch tape and resembled a sandwich - a double layer of carbon on the outside, then a double layer of paper and a Teflon layer in the middle. Then all the layers were glued together so that they did not touch each other, resulting in an electrically neutral structure.
When you press with your finger, two insulators come into contact, creating a charge differential - negative for Teflon, positive for paper, after you release your finger, the paper separates, the charge goes to the carbon layers, which act, as already mentioned, as electrodes. The capacitor placed on the circuit absorbs the weak electrical signal produced by the system.
During their work, the scientists managed to increase the production of electricity using sandpaper, which allowed them to obtain a rough surface. Having pressed the sandpaper, the specialists placed it close to the paper parts, which increased the contact area and the production of electricity several times.
The device produces current with each press, but even if pressed at a low frequency, it can produce enough energy to power nano- or micro-sensors (it can be compared to the energy produced by 2 AA batteries).
The scientists called their invention triboelectric nanogenerators, or TENG for short.
Such a generator can be used in inexpensive sensors that are used in the medical field in developing countries. New compact devices can easily replace conventional batteries, which are widely used in such applications, but after use, the nanogenerator can be composted, unlike batteries that poison the earth in landfills for many years.
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