NANOTRET: Nano-micro-structured permanently charged surfaces for electret nanogenerators
An electret is the electrostatic equivalent of a magnet: it consists of a non-conductive material that has a quasi permanent electric charge or dipole polarization and thus generates an electric field. Aim of the NANOTRET project is to develop a new class of nano- and microstructured electret that can be used to build high-efficiency electret generators for converting mechanical into electrical energy.
This project pursues a novel approach by using core@shell nanoparticles as charge storage entities. These will be arranged into charged nanopatterns with variable spacing, resulting in different surface charge densities. For microstructuring different stamping techniques and laser micromachining will be used. The team of scientists working together in the NANOTRET project will employ state of the art techniques to optimize the design of the electret and in particular the nanopattern. The aim is to maximize charge density and charge retention. The best surface designs will be transferred into electret micro harvesters. In cooperation with the project TRIBOGEN, the developed NANOTRET surfaces will also be explored for their triboelectric properties.