Modulus Matching and Interface Enhancement: A Synergistic Strategy for Antidelamination High-Performance Stretchable...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Energy Harvesting
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are promising for self-powered wearable bioelectronics.
• Interfacial delamination due to mechanical mismatch limits TENG performance and application.
• Current strategies face challenges in balancing bond strength, conductivity, and stretchability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel TENG construction strategy based on homologous polymer pairing to overcome interfacial delamination.
• To develop a TENG with enhanced interfacial toughness, conductivity, and stretchability for reliable biomechanical energy harvesting.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a TPD-gel triboelectric layer (thermoplastic polyurethane/polyvinyl chloride/dibutyl adipate) and a carbon nanotube-embedded TPU microfiber electrode.
• Utilizing a shared polyurethane matrix for modulus matching and strain coordination.
• Employing ultrasonic cavitation treatment to enhance interfacial toughness.

Main Results:

• Achieved a modulus matching ratio below 2 and strain coordination, suppressing stress concentration.
• Significantly enhanced interfacial toughness to 190 N m⁻¹, 3.2 times higher than conventional interfaces.
• Demonstrated a TENG with high charge density, strain-insensitive conductivity, and over 100% extensibility.

Conclusions:

• The homologous polymer pairing strategy effectively suppresses interfacial delamination in TENGs.
• The developed TENG shows excellent mechanical and electrical properties for flexible self-powered devices.
• A delamination-resistant TENG sensor with deep learning achieved 97.8% accuracy in character recognition, highlighting potential in wearable health monitoring.