Self-Assisted Charge Storage-Release Mechanism Enabling Flexible Design of Biomimetic Triboelectric Nanogenerators

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have attained a prominent position in the field of renewable energy conversion, and they exhibit immense promise for applications in self-powered sensors and wearable devices. However, their practical power output is highly dependent on triboelectric effectiveness. While micro-nano-structured surfaces have been widely adopted in previous studies to enhance electrostatic effects, such architectures often lead to electric breakdown at the protruding sites, which adversely counteract the original intention. This work introduces a unique Lithium-ion battery-mimetic into a mimosa-inspired TENG with a micro-array surface. By spontaneously regulating charge distribution, it confines the interfacial electric field below the breakdown threshold, thus integrating high flexibility with outstanding electrical performance. Benefiting from a spontaneous charge self-regulation mechanism, the TENG effectively suppresses air breakdown and achieves a high charge density of 396.50 µC m^-2. Furthermore, this study demonstrates the practicality of the MLBA-TENG in a long-endurance intelligent insole for position monitoring, providing effective long-term protection for special populations such as patients with Alzheimer's disease. The results validate the promising application prospects of the MLBA-TENG in wearable intelligent devices, highlighting its potential to address critical needs in healthcare and mobile electronics.