Molecularly programmed hierarchical self-assembly of bottlebrush polymers into core–shell nanospheres with intrinsic charge-trapping for high performance triboelectric nanogenerators

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요약

Nanoscale, 2026, Advance ArticleDOI: 10.1039/D6NR01416J, CommunicationJinwoo Choi, Seung Jae Hong, Taebin Kim, In Kyu Moon, Joona Bang, Cheolmin Park, Youngjong KangMolecularly programmed PNB-g-PVDF bottlebrush polymers self-assemble into β-phase-rich core–sh…

본문

Molecularly programmed hierarchical self-assembly of bottlebrush polymers into core–shell nanospheres with intrinsic charge-trapping for high performance triboelectric nanogenerators

* Corresponding authors

a Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
E-mail: [email protected]

b Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841 Republic of Korea
E-mail: [email protected]

c Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
E-mail: [email protected]

d Research Institute for Convergence of Basic Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

e Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

f Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Abstract

We present a solution-processed bottlebrush polymer, PNB-g-PVDF [(polynorbornene)-g-(polyvinylidene fluoride)], that self-assembles into hierarchical core–shell nanospheres to achieve outstanding triboelectric performance. A thermally decomposable molecular splint, butadiene sulfone (BDS), is used to crystallize the PVDF side chains almost exclusively in the highly polar β-phase. TEM, SAED, and depth-profile XPS confirm a core–shell structure comprising a fluorine-rich, highly polar shell wrapped around a mixed PNB/PVDF core. Crucially, isothermal surface potential decay (ISPD) analysis reveals that the hierarchical bottlebrush architecture provides more stable charge-trapping environments than the corresponding linear PVDF controls, thereby suppressing charge dissipation over the measured time window. When paired with nylon-6,6 in a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), the film produces VOC = 188 V, ISC = 18.8 µA and Pmax = 0.255 mW cm−2. This output is approximately three times higher than that of a comparable β-phase linear PVDF control and is sufficient to directly power 27 commercial LEDs. These results establish bottlebrush polymer self-assembly as a promising molecular design platform for additive-free, high-performance TENG materials.