A Multifunctional Integrated Triboelectric Nanogenerator via Electrospinning Fluorinated/Silanized Thermoplastic...

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) hold significant potential for powering flexible wearable electronics; however, their widespread adoption is limited by mechanical wear, harsh environment (e.g., to humidity and contaminants), and the need for external intervention to trigger self-powered heating self-healing. In this work, we presented a breathable TENG fabricated from electrospun nanofiber mats of a novel PDMS-TPU-HFDD copolymer, which combines self-powered heating self-healing, self-cleaning, and exceptional environmental stability in a single-material system. The copolymer was synthesized through chain extension of prepolymers utilizing polycaprolactone diol (PCL diol), polydimethylsiloxane diol (PDMS diol), and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) with fluorinated chain extender hexadecafluorodecanediol (HFDD), resulting in a melting transition as low as 38.10 °C. The TENG device utilized the copolymer electrospun nanofiber mat as the triboelectric layer and the carbon cloth as the flexible electrode. The integrated device self-powered heating self-healed within 3 min via the Joule heating effect of carbon cloth (2.8 V, 43.3 °C) and maintains 98% of its performance over 4500 abrasion cycles. Moreover, the device demonstrated both high breathability and excellent stability in high-humidity environments. Its water vapor transmission rate was comparable to that of an open container, retaining 78% of its electrical output even at 60% relative humidity. The device demonstrated a maximum open-circuit voltage of 150 V, short-circuit current of 14 μA, and a power density of 0.275 W/m²─surpassing the performance of conventional PCL-TPU-BDO-based devices by two to three times. This multifunctional TENG represents a substantial step toward durable, self-sustaining, and practical power sources for next-generation wearable electronics.