Authors: Bhaskar Dudem, R.D. Ishara G. Dharmasena, Sontyana Adonijah Graham, Jung Woo Leem, Harishkumarreddy Patnam, Anki Reddy Mule, S. Ravi P. Silva, Jae Su Yu
Summary: Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) developed using eco-friendly natural materials instead of traditional electronic materials are more favorable for biocompatible applications as well as from a sustainable life-cycle analysis perspective. Microarchitectured silkworm fibroin films with high surface roughness and an outstanding ability to lose electrons are used to design TENGs. An alcohol-annealing treatment is utilized to strengthen the resistance of the silk film against humidity and aqueous solubility. Herein, for the first time, the distance-dependent electric field (DDEF) theoretical model is employed to optimize the TENG parameters to achieve high-output, which shows excellent agreement with the experimental outputs of silk film-based TENG (SF-TENG). The alcohol-treated microarchitectured SF (AT-MASF) with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) positive contact exhibit a stable and high electrical output even in harsh environments. These studies can lead us closer to the attractive future vision of realizing the biodegradable TENG systems for harness/sensing various biomechanical activities even under real/humid environments. The potential and real-time application of the proposed AT-MASF-TENG is demonstrated by directly employing its electric power to drive a number of low-power portable electronics and for sensing in human-body centric activities.
Source: Nano Energy, 2020; 104882