Dual-Mode Triboelectric Textiles with Electrostatic Breakdown for Energy Harvesting and Motion Monitoring

Smart wearable devices have become integrated into people's daily lives, while triboelectric textiles are emerging as one of the most promising wearable power sources since they can harvest biomechanical energy with great wear comfort. However, the low and alternating output as well as the difficulties in large-area fabrication of triboelectric textiles severely restrict their practical applications. Here, core-sheath-structured fibers (CSSF) are obtained by conjugated electrospinning and then woven with cotton fibers and conductive yarns to form a dual-mode triboelectric textile (DMTT). The CSSF is strong enough for the subsequent weaving, sliding, and even washing, making sure the continuous production and great mechanical stability of the DMTT. In sliding mode, direct-current (DC) signals can be obtained via induction by the warp and weft interlaced structure, which achieves electrostatic breakdown. The maximum instantaneous DC output current reaches 420 mA·m^-2, which is 6 times higher than the state of the art of DC triboelectric textiles. Moreover, the DMTT can also generate alternating-current signals when pressed by external force. The dual-mode outputs of DMTT make it possible to detect a much wider range of external stimuli, showing its great potential for multi-motion identification.