Antibacterial, Scalable Manufacturing, Skin-Attachable, and Eco-Friendly Fabric Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Self-Powered Sensing

Textile-based triboelectric nanogenerators (T-TENGs) are an indispensable cornerstone of new wearable electronics. However, the manufacturing processes of T-TENGs usually involve complex chemical processes and expensive materials. The friction materials utilized in these T-TENGs generally come from nonrenewable resources. Here, we report the development of the scalable fabrication of a flexible, skin-attachable, and eco-friendly fabric triboelectric nanogenerator (FTENG) with satisfactory comfort and excellent antibacterial properties by introducing eco-friendly green materials, Tencel and chitosan fibers. The yarn triboelectric nanogenerator (YTENG) fabricated by a scalable fancy yarn spinning technology using Tencel and chitosan fibers exhibits high flexibility, small diameter, low weight, high scalability, and productivity as well as low cost, which contribute to the widespread application of T-TENGs. Benefiting from the excellent compatibility of YTENGs, automatic weaving for producing such FTENGs is demonstrated. The output voltage, current, and power density of a fabricated FTENG operating at a single-electrode mode can reach 31.3 V, 1.8 μA, and 15.8 mW/m², respectively, by applying a 3 Hz mechanical drive of 100 N with a size of 5 × 5 cm². Such FTENGs have been used as self-powered sensors for body motion monitoring. This study presents a novel and sustainable strategy for the development of eco-friendly T-TENGs.