Hg²⁺ Ion-Enhanced MOFs-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Self-Powered Antibiotic Degradation

The development of triboelectric materials is of great significance for the construction of self-powered systems. In this work, a host-guest type material was constructed by introducing Hg^{2 +} ions functionally into the pores of metal-organic frameworks through a post-synthesis modification strategy, and it was applied in triboelectric nanogenerators. The results showed that compared with the pure MOF, Zn-MOF(Hg) significantly improved the output performance, with the short-circuit current increasing from 39.7 µA to 52.3 µA and the power density reaching 3317.76 mW/m². This phenomenon was mainly attributed to the fact that Hg^{2 +} could act as an efficient charge capture center, inhibiting charge recombination during the friction process, thereby enhancing the output performance. Density functional theory results also indicated that Hg^{2 +} ions could increase the highest occupied molecular orbital energy level and reduce the band gap, thereby lowering the energy barrier for electron transition. By constructing a harmful antibiotic degradation system with Zn-MOF(Hg)@TENG, the chloramphenicol degradation rate reached over 98% within 150 min. Moreover, the stable output of Zn-MOF(Hg)@TENG can also easily light up LED lamp groups and other electronic devices. This work provides new ideas for the development of frictional electrochemical materials and the resource utilization of heavy metal ions.