In Situ Observation of Current Generation in ZnO Nanowire Based Nanogenerators Using a CAFM Integrated into an SEM

Chao Wen, Xu Jing, Frank F. Hitzel, Chengbin Pan, Guenther Benstetter, Mario Lanza

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this work, we monitor in situ the movement of ZnO piezoelectric nanowires by using a conductive atomic force microscope integrated into a scanning electron microscope. This setup allows seeing the bending of the nanowires and simultaneously measuring the currents generated. We conclude that the currents generated not only come from piezoelectric effect, but also from contact potential and triboelectric effect. These contributions have been ignored in all previous reports in this field, meaning that the power conversion efficiency of these devices may have been systematically overestimated. Our study helps to clarify the working mechanism of piezoelectric nanogenerators based on ZnO nanowires.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)15183-15188
Number of pages6
JournalACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Volume11
Issue number17
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1 2019
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Materials Science

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