InSe-Enabled Wearable Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Biomechanical Energy Harvesting and Motion Sensing

Abstract

Self-powered wearable sensors are highly desirable for continuous human motion monitoring, yet the development of flexible devices with high output performance and good environmental adaptability remains challenging. Herein, an InSe-based triboelectric nanogenerator (IS-TENG) is developed through a simple layer-by-layer assembly strategy using Kapton as the flexible substrate, aluminum foil as the electrode, PTFE as one triboelectric layer, and compacted InSe powders as the counterpart friction material. Benefiting from the effective interfacial contact and favorable charge-generation capability of the PTFE/InSe triboelectric pair, the fabricated IS-TENG delivers a high open-circuit voltage (V_OC) of 773 V, a short-circuit current (I_SC) of 35 μA, a transferred charge (Q_SC) of 229 nC, and a maximum output power of 465 μW. The device also exhibits reliable capacitor-charging capability, good cycling durability, and stable output under varying operating and environmental conditions. More importantly, it can function as a wearable self-powered sensor for finger tapping detection, motion-state recognition, and joint bending monitoring. These results demonstrate the promise of the IS-TENG for biomechanical energy harvesting and intelligent wearable motion sensing.