Toward a Rapid-Fabricated Triboelectric Device with a 1,3-Phosphorylated Poly(vinyl alcohol) Polymer for Water Turbulence Energy Harvesting

Electricity generation from coal, nuclear reaction, and shale gas has brought environmental, safety, and health concerns. The electricity industry is constantly seeking sustainable, safe, and healthy way of electricity generation. The use of triboelectric device is promising for producing electricity from water energy. In this study, we report on the rapid fabrication of a 1,3-phosphorylated poly(vinyl alcohol) gel-based triboelectric device and direct harvesting of water turbulence energy using this device. The gel was prepared by the reaction of poly(vinyl alcohol) with dipotassium phosphate. The synthesized gel was characterized by mass spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis/difference thermogravimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, Raman, and carbon and oxygen K-edges soft X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy. The triboelectric device was used to harvest electricity from water turbulence.