Energy harvesting using triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) is an effective strategy to supply power to microelectronics, the Internet of Things, etc. Generally, the output performance of a triboelectric nanogenerator is limited by the breakdown of air. Hence, we systematically investigate a TENG operating in the contact-separation mode and single-electrode mode from the perspective of the electric field that builds up between the metal electrode and dielectric material. Finite-element simulations are conducted to illustrate the difference between such devices in terms of the static electric field and output performance. The TENG operating in the contact-separation mode has a lower built-in electric field but can deliver much higher transferred charges, short-circuit current, and open-circuit voltage. Furthermore, the output performance of the TENG operating in the single-electrode mode can be enhanced by reducing the gap distance. These findings not only illustrate the process of contact electrification but also show the great potential of such devices for realizing noncontact energy conversion.

使用摩擦电纳米发电机（TENG）进行能量收集是一种向微电子，物联网等供电的有效策略。通常，摩擦电纳米发电机的输出性能受到空气破坏的限制。因此，我们从在金属电极和介电材料之间建立的电场的角度，系统地研究以接触分离模式和单电极模式运行的TENG。进行了有限元模拟，以说明此类器件之间在静电场和输出性能方面的差异。在接触分离模式下运行的TENG具有较低的内置电场，但可以传递更高的传输电荷，短路电流和开路电压。此外，通过减小间隙距离，可以提高在单电极模式下工作的TENG的输出性能。这些发现不仅说明了接触带电的过程，而且还表明了此类设备在实现非接触式能量转换方面的巨大潜力。