Emerging artificial intelligence in piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators

Abstract

Abstract Piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENG) and triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) have opened an exciting venue to sustainably harvest electrical energy from the environments, which have led to multifunctional applications in different fields. More recently, a paradigm shift has directed to the emerging artificial intelligence (AI) in PENG and TENG, aiming to address the challenges of the nanogenerators in analysis, design, fabrication, and application. AI-PENG and AI-TENG are envisioned to enhance and optimize the mechanical-to-electrical performance of the nanogenerators to a favorable behavior. However, an overview on the topic of AI-PENG and AI-TENG has not yet been exploited in the literature. In this review article, we showcase the recent progress of PENG and TENG and discuss the future trends of AI-enhanced nanogenerators with desirable electrical performance, i.e., using AI-enabled design models as a viable tool to design, predict, and optimize the structures and materials of PENG and TENG. This topical review explains why the nanogenerators are extensively considered as one of the promising energy solutions and are especially suitable for certain applications in engineering and life science, how to surpass the limitations of PENG and TENG by AI-based structural design and material discovery, and what technological avenues that AI-PENG and AI-TENG may provide for green energy in future innovations.