Triboelectric nanogenerator based on multi-component crosslinked network hydrogel for intelligent human motion sensing

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Switzerland : 1996), 2024-04, Vol.486, p.149948, Article 149948
• Main Authors: Zhu, Kang-Rui, Wu, Lin-Xin, Liu, Meng-Nan, Li, Chang-Long, Song, Wei-Zhi, Wei, Kong-Qiang, Zhang, Jun, Ramakrishna, Seeram, Long, Yun-Ze
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Hydrogel; Motion sensing; Silicone rubber; Triboelectric nanogenerator
• ISSN: 1385-8947
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2024.149948

•Designed a self-powered intelligent sensing system (IGS) for real-time monitoring of human movement steps and pace.•IGS can be used in sports scenarios such as triple jump or hurdle races that require pressure sensing monitoring.•P(AM-MA)-PEI hydrogels exhibit excellent stretchability (>800 %) and conductive recoverability.•DES-TENG demonstrates excellent contact sensing performance in terms of high frequency, high pressure, and durability. With the continuous development of intelligent wearable devices, new requirements are put forward for the collection of human motion information. In this paper, a self-powered motion sensor with high precision, high stability and high output power was prepared by utilizing the flexibility and stretchability of the conductive hydrogel and combining with the nanogenerator. Even at a contact frequency of 3.0 Hz, the sensor can produce an open circuit voltage of 225 V and a power density of 187 mW m−2. It can not only be used as a power source to drive electronic devices, but also to achieve accurate acquisition of human movement steps and walking speed. When applying different forces, the sensor shows a more obvious difference, and its theoretical resolution can reach 0.1 N. Because the hinge hydrogel has good flexibility, resilience and stability, it can still maintain its original shape after 4000 times of pressure testing, and can be directly attached to the human skin surface, providing a new idea for the field of self-powered pressure sensors.