Triboelectric Nanogenerators Based on 2D Conductive and High-Dielectric Material Heterostructures for Self-Powered Digital Medicine Applications

Abstract

With the accelerating advancement of health monitoring and intelligent motion detection technologies, wearable flexible sensors have emerged as indispensable tools for real-time human activity monitoring. Self-powered systems centered on triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which obviate the requirement for external power sources, have garnered substantial attention. However, attaining both high electrical performance and mechanical flexibility persists as a pivotal challenge. To tackle this, we propose a groundbreaking strategy that incorporates two-dimensional (2D) graphene as a conductive template with amino-modified BaTiO₃ nanoparticles (BaTiO₃-NH₂), a high-dielectric-constant material, to develop a high-performance flexible TENG for human motion detection. The dual role of graphene is maximized: its superior electrical conductivity facilitates the formation of microcapacitive structures, while its 2D sheet structure promotes the uniform dispersion of BaTiO₃-NH₂, mitigating agglomeration issues and maintaining mechanical integrity. The fabricated TENG exhibited remarkable performance, attaining a high power output of 0.48 W/m² in single-electrode mode for energy harvesting and a peak open-circuit voltage of 380 V for wearable sensing. These augmented properties permitted precise detection of diverse human motion patterns in real-world wearable scenarios and broadened its application to precise sensing in ball sports. This study illustrates the synergistic advantages of integrating 2D conductive materials with high-dielectric nanoparticles, offering a promising strategy for developing next-generation self-powered sensors. The designed TENG possesses significant potential for energy harvesting, wearable sensing, and advanced electronic skin applications in human-machine interfaces.

Keywords: 2D materials; electronic skin; self-powered sensor; sports monitoring; wearable device.