Self-Powered Disinfection Using Triboelectric, Conductive Wires of Metal-Organic Frameworks

Efficient water disinfection is vitally needed in rural and disaster-stricken areas lacking power supplies. However, conventional water disinfection methods strongly rely on external chemical input and reliable electricity. Herein, we present a self-powered water disinfection system using synergistic hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) assisted electroporation mechanisms driven by triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) that harvest electricity from the flow of water. The flow-driven TENG, assisted by power management systems, generates a controlled output with aimed voltages to drive a conductive metal-organic framework nanowire array for effective H₂O₂ generation and electroporation. The injured bacteria caused by electroporation can be further damaged by facile diffused H₂O₂ molecules at high throughput. A self-powered disinfection prototype enables complete disinfection (>99.9999% removal) over a wide range of flows up to 3.0 × 10⁴ L/(m² h) with low water flow thresholds (200 mL/min; ∼20 rpm). This rapid, self-powered water disinfection method is promising for pathogen control.