posted on 2022-01-11, 11:44authored byZhuo Wang, Zhirong Liu, Gengrui Zhao, Zichao Zhang, Xinyang Zhao, Xingyi Wan, Yalong Zhang, Zhong Lin Wang, Linlin Li
Improving
output performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs)
is crucial for expanding their applications in smart devices, especially
for flexible and wearable bioelectronics. In this study, we design
and fabricate a flexible, stretchable, and highly transparent TENG
based on an unsymmetrical PAM/BTO composite film, made of polyacrylamide
(PAM) hydrogel and BaTiO3 nanocubes (BTO NCs, BTO), and
the TENG performance can be tailored by adjusting the amount and distribution
location of BTO. The stretchable hydrogel electrode could bear over
8 times stretching. By changing the content and distribution location
of BTO in the unsymmetrical hydrogel film, the output of the fabricated
TENGs could be improved, acting as pressure sensors with high sensitivity
to distinguish a spectrum of forces (0.25–6 N) at the low frequency.
The mechanism of the enhanced output performance of the PAM/BTO composite
hydrogel-based TENG is discussed in detail. By integrating piezoresistive,
piezoelectric, and triboelectric effects, the optimized TENG and piezoresistive
sensors are used as multimodal biomechanical sensors for detecting
the motions of human bodies, pressure, and curvature with high sensitivity.