Enhanced TENG Triboelectric Properties with Bead-on-String Structures of Nanofibrous Membranes for Dust Personal...

To address the challenge of efficiently filtering fine dust in industrial and mining environments, P(VDF-TrFE)/BaTiO₃(BTO) nanofibers were fabricated via electrospinning and integrated into a self-powered triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) using annealed modification and a bead-on-string structure design. By optimizing the electrospinning parameters, the synthesized nanofibrous membranes exhibited a distinctive bead-on-string morphology, enhancing their surface roughness and triboelectric properties. Annealed P(VDF-TrFE)/BTO fibrous membranes demonstrated excellent hydrophobicity (water contact angle of 130.2°) and high moisture permeability (4834.50 g/m²·24 h), facilitating the removal of water vapor and mitigating charge dissipation. BTO nanoparticles were selected as electrets to enhance the filtration performance of the P(VDF-TrFE) membranes. The annealed P(VDF-TrFE)/BTO membrane achieved a filtration efficiency of 97.6%, a pressure drop of 93 Pa, and a quality factor (QF) of 0.04 Pa^-1. The TENG was constructed using polyamide 66 (PA66) as the positive triboelectric layer and the prepared nanofibrous membranes as the negative triboelectric layer. The annealed TENG continuously generated electrostatic charges by expiratory/inspiratory contact and separation process (V_oc = 13.84 V, I_sc = 3.01 μA, Q_tr = 14.01 nC), exhibiting a superior filtration efficiency of 95.46% for fine particles during a long period of filtration test (240 min). COMSOL simulations revealed that the bead-on-string structure (P_f = 2.32) amplified the TENG's potential difference to 62 V, higher than that of the slender bead-on-string structures (P_f = 2.52, 54 V; P_f = 2.53, 51 V). The largest number of bead-on-string structures with a uniform arrangement generated the highest specific surface area and porosity, benefiting the collection of fine particles. This investigation presents a novel air purification approach with great prospects for wearable breathing devices for personal occupational health protection.