Regenerable triboelectric artificial hyperaccumulator for sustainable heavy- metals detection and remediation

Abstract

The remediation of heavy metals in wastewater remains a critical challenge due to their toxicity, diverse chemical forms, and nanoscale size. Conventional identification and removal methods are often complex and costly, lacking a unified, efficient solution. Inspired by hyperaccumulators—plants that capture, respond to, and detoxify heavy metals—we developed a regenerable artificial hyperaccumulator system. This system integrates a cellulose-based adsorptive membrane into a triboelectric membrane sensor (TEMS) for simultaneous adsorption and detection. The membrane effectively captures multiple heavy metal ions, while the TEMS device exhibits a 74.2% enhancement in the triboelectric effect, achieving highly sensitive detection (1 nM–1 mM) and accurate feed concentration predictions (5.14% error). Notably, the system maintains 100% reusability over six regeneration cycles. This work presents a cost-effective, multifunctional platform, advancing sustainable solutions for water purification and energy harvesting.