Magic rub?

Currently the maximum power output of Wang's generator reaches 500 watts per square meter, 100,000 times that of his first generator in 2012.

Thomas Thundat, a leading researcher in the study of molecules and nanoscale structures at interfaces and Canada excellence research chair at the University of Alberta, says the research is "very exciting".

"Triboelectricity presents a new opportunity for energy generation. Triboelectric research has been around for a long time. However, Wang's approach can produce large amount of power from triboelectric effect," he says.

"Wang's method overcomes many of the challenges experienced by the earlier researchers in making the phenomenon practical," Thundat says. "He has shown that his method is scalable."

"China is a country that desperately needs green and sustainable energy for its development. Seeking new sources of energy is important," Wang says.

"In such a case, commercialization of a triboelectric nano-generator in China has outstanding potential, because it is not only a power source for portable electronics and sensor networks, but also a potential candidate for harvesting ocean-wave energy for large-scale applications."