Creating Smart Washable Flooring: Sandwich‐Style Single‐Electrode Triboelectric Nanogenerator with Barium Titanate and Graphite‐Fluorinated Polymer‐Infused Ecoflex Hybrid Composites for Enhanced Safety and Security

Abstract

Smart flooring embedded with TENG technology enhances safety and security in dream homes by generating energy through movement, providing real‐time alerts and monitoring capabilities. Research on smart flooring is limited, particularly concerning its washability, which remains a significant drawback. To tackle this challenge, an innovative solution is developed that is not only washable but also flexible and durable, combining barium titanate (BT) and graphite fluorinated polymer (FG) within an Ecoflex (EC) matrix, utilizing a sandwich‐style single‐electrode TENG (SWSE‐TENG) configuration. This design exhibits remarkable triboelectric performance, achieving an open‐circuit potential of 1000 V and a short‐circuit current of 25 µA when tapped with a nitrile‐glove‐clad hand. Extensive testing under various conditions such as humidity, water immersion, and frequent washing demonstrates outstanding stability and resilience. The SWSE‐TENG smart flooring shows promising applications in safety, security, and athletic environments. Prior to this, EC‐BT‐FG composites with varying BT and FG concentrations using a facile casting technique are fabricated, systematically analyzing their structural, crystalline, and electrical properties. Notably, the 5 wt% BT and 5 wt% FG embedded EC composite (EC‐5‐5) exhibits superior triboelectric performance, making it the optimal choice for this innovative flooring solution.