  Although electrostatic microgenerators (ESMGs) have promised for nearly two
decades extensive applications in wireless, self-powered microscale devices and
sensors for security, personal health systems, communication, infrastructure
and environmental monitoring, commercialized ESMGs are still scarce, mainly due
to very low current densities and short product life for most applications.
Here we demonstrate that a combination of structural superlubricity, a state of
nearly zero friction and wear between two contacted solid surfaces, and
nanotechnology can endow ESMGs with superlong life and high performances such
as transferred charge, current, and power (at least three orders of magnitude
higher than those of conventional ESMGs). Among a few significant advantages of
superlubricity-based ESMGs, two are particularly noticeable. First, they can be
driven by much lower external loads than conventional ESMGs; second, they can
be massively fabricated by using micro-machining processes. The quantitative
relationships, experimental proof of concept, and optimization results reported
in this Letter can guide future design and facilitate the commercialization of
ESMGs.
