A biobased thermosetting polyamide has been synthesized
through
the crosslinking of epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) with hexamethylenediamine
(HMDA) for application in sustainable energy harvesting devices, triboelectric
nanogenerators (TENGs). A simple synthetic method requiring neither
a solvent nor catalysts was employed. Amide formation was confirmed
by FTIR signals corresponding to CO stretching at ∼1650
cm–1, N–H bending vibration at ∼1540
cm–1, and C–N stretching at 1168 cm–1. Polyamides of ESO/HMDA demonstrated excellent thermal stability
(displaying a DTG peak at around 460 °C), high hydrophobicity
with a water uptake of lower than 1.5%, and contact angles in the
range of 86–120°. Importantly, the ESO/HMDA TENG exhibited
outstanding electrical performance compared to other biobased devices,
with the highest output voltage and current of 150 V and 14 μA,
respectively. The high efficiency of the TENG was attributed to the
significant nitrogen content within the polyamide structure, where
enhanced electrical performance correlated with greater ratios of
HMDA. ESO/HMDA biobased polyamides offer an exciting new opportunity
for utilization in the fabrication of sustainable energy harvesting
devices, such as TENGs.