Metamaterial Adhesives-Integrated Triboelectric Nanogenerators with Enhanced and Programmable Charge Generation and Adhesion

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) harvest electrical energy from interfacial separation, yet achieving programmable and enhanced output through controlled separation mechanisms remains challenging. Here, a metamaterial adhesive-integrated TENG (MetaAdh-TENG) is presented that employs nonlinear cut architectures within an adhesive film embedded with silver nanowire (AgNW) electrodes. This structure enables spatially programmable and enhanced triboelectric charge generation and adhesion. Compared to planar counterparts, the MetaAdh-TENG exhibits a 12.8 fold increase in peak voltage (7.3 V) and a 34.8 fold enhancement in peel adhesion (202.3 N m⁻¹) by accelerating local crack velocity through crack trapping and reverse crack propagation. By tailoring the cut geometry, the charge output, adhesion strength, and their directionality can be independently and locally controlled, enabling tunable performance across a single device. These features support multifunctional applications, such as battery-free smart adhesives for fall detection and door-opening alarms, as well as roll-type systems for continuous charge generation.