Harnessing Body Energy With Triboelectric Nanogenerators.

We are currently exploring triboelectric properties of nanomaterials and their applications in self-powered biological implants. Triboelectricity is the process by which charges buildup within layered materials through friction. Rubbing two materials with different electrostatic properties generates a charge potential and if this charge is allowed to flow, electricity is induced. Friction occurs in most of our daily activities. Since mechanical energy is among the driving forces for friction, materials with triboelectric properties can be used to harness the mechanical energy from our daily activities and transform it into useful electrical energy. A key goal of our research is the development of triboelectric nanogenerators also known as TENGs. TENGs utilize nanomaterials to harness energy through the triboelectric effect. Our ongoing work includes characterizing the morphology and composition of nanomaterials (including polydimethyl siloxane, polyethylene terephthalate polymers, Ag nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes) that have been reported to exhibit triboelectric effects, and exploring morphosynthesis strategies to optimize TENG voltage output. This research merges multiple disciplines (including chemistry, physics, nanotechnology, material science, biomedical engineering and electrical engineering) and explores structure-property relationships in TENGs to inform new device development for medicine. TENGs can be used to fabricate self-powered devices and thus have potential application for medical implants including drug delivery devices, heart pacemakers, glucose detectors, and hearing aids.