Polyaniline-Doped Textile-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator: Self-Powered Device for Wearable Electronics

Abstract

The emergence of wearable electronics in contemporary lifestyles has spurred the need for smart fabrics capable of harnessing biomechanical energy. In the present study, a flexible polyaniline-doped textile-based triboelectric nanogenerator (PT-TENG) is designed to harvest low-frequency mechanical vibrations and convert them into electricity. For the device fabrication, five different textile fabrics are doped with conducting PANI, which is utilized as the tribopositive material, PVC thin film as the tribonegative material, and Al foil as electrodes. The PT-TENG works in vertical-contact separation mode, devised in arch structure for easy and complete contact between the working layers. Interestingly, the device featuring a PANI-doped silk fabric generated the highest output voltage of 257.68 V and a current of 5.36 μA, respectively. Additionally, the PT-TENG exhibits mechanical durability and electrical stability during continuous 7000 cyclic operations. Furthermore, the PT-TENG showcases practical applications such as charging commercial capacitors, powering green LEDs and smartwatches, and as a self-powered touch sensor. Thus, the PT-TENG offers a facile fabrication process and robustness, highlighting its potential for sustainable energy harvesting in wearable electronics.