Multifunctional biopolymer poly (lactic acid)-based triboelectric nanogenerator via controlled construction of secondary electron path

Seeking sustainable energy solutions for bioelectronic devices, high-performance, multifunctional biopolymer-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are proving to be essential for biomedical applications. This study presents an innovative fabrication method for establishing secondary electron transport paths, resulting in biopolymer-based nanocomposites (poly (lactic acid) (PLA)/carbon nanotube (CNT)@expanded graphite (EG)) with inherent electron pathways. By integrating conductive biopolymer nanocomposites with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films, we developed a contact-separation mode TENG (CS-TENG) that demonstrates outstanding energy-harvesting efficiency. The CS-TENG displays an impressive charge density of 280 μC/m², accompanied by an open circuit voltage (V_oc) of 100.5 V and short circuit current density (I_sc) values of 47.25 mA/m². Moreover, the essential conductive network guarantees the CS-TENG’s stability across different humidity levels and serves as a moisture barrier. In addition to energy harvesting, the fabricated biopolymer nanocomposite films exhibit effective electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and Joule heating capabilities, rendering the CS-TENG suitable for use in diverse application scenarios. Our results emphasize the crucial role of conductive network architecture in creating high-performance biopolymer PLA-based TENGs. The innovative fabrication method and our CS-TENG's capabilities reveal the significant potential of biopolymer-based composites to transform energy harvesting, thermal management, and EMI shielding in bioelectronics.