A Triboelectric Nanogenerator Based on Bamboo Leaf for Biomechanical Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Touch Sensing

Abstract

Recently, natural material-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have increasingly attracted attention in academic circles. In this work, we have developed an innovative triboelectric nanogenerator (BL-TENG) utilizing bamboo leaves to capture biomechanical energy. Bamboo leaf, as a natural plant material, possesses a diverse array of applications due to its remarkable durability, which surpasses that of many other types of trees. Furthermore, bamboo leaf has the advantages of low cost, widely distributed, non-toxic and environmentally protected. The output power of the BL-TENG (size: 5 cm × 5 cm) is able to generate approximately 409.6 µW and the internal resistance of the BL-TENG is 40 MΩ. Furthermore, the BL-TENG can realize an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 191 V and a short-circuit current (Isc) of 5 µA, respectively. The biomechanical energy harvesting effect of the BL-TENG device means that it can drive 18 commercial light-emitting diodes (LEDs) through the full-wave bridge rectifier. Furthermore, the BL-TENG can also serve as a self-powered touch sensor to reflect hand touch states. This study proposed a novel plant-based TENG device that can enhance the development of green TENG devices and self-powered sensing systems.