Wind energy harvester based on coaxial rotatory freestanding triboelectric nanogenerators for self-powered water splitting

Electrolysis of water is utilized as an environment friendly approach for production of hydrogen (H₂). An external power supply for driving the oxidation or reduction reactions of H₂O molecules is mandatory for electrolysis. Harvesting energy from our living environment for electrolytic water splitting is a cost-effective technology for mass production of H₂. Here, a coaxial rotatory freestanding triboelectric nanogenerator (CRF-TENG) wind energy harvester was demonstrated, in which the electrospinning PVDF nanofibrous membrane served as triboelectric material. And then a fully self-powered water splitting system for hydrogen production was presented based on the CRF-TENG. By scavenging ambient wind energy, the generated electricity is used for water splitting to produce H₂, instead of the external power source. The amounts of H₂ were measured by a gas circulation system and gas chromatograph and the H₂ evolution rates were calculated. When the wind speed is 10 m/s, the hydrogen generation rate reaches 6.9685 μL/min in the 1 M KOH solution, suggesting an easy scale-up and efficient route for converting ambient mechanical energy into hydrogen energy. Such self-powered water splitting system opens up a new road to more energy applications.