Process adaptable bio-compatible polymer inks enabling scalable manufacturing of self-powered triboelectric sensors

Abstract

Triboelectric nanogenerator have been developed to create self-powered devices for power generation or sensing applications. There are many sensor applications for triboelectric nanogenerators in systems where there may be any residual mechanical energy that would have otherwise been unutilized. One such system is the human body; hence, a prominent application of triboelectric sensors is skin-integrated health monitoring sensors. Due to the self-powered, easy to operate and bio-compatible nature of these sensors, there is growing interest in more widespread adoption of these sensors in real-world applications. This can be achieved by developing new methods of enhancing the triboelectric performance and investigating reliable and scalable manufacturing of these sensors. Moreover, there is a need for development with a holistic approach combining device performance and scalable manufacturing. Here we present a novel water-based ink formulated for skin-integrated, highly sensitive triboelectric sensors. The ink synthesis utilizes non-toxic, bio-compatible polymers that enable safe and direct skin contact, ensuring reliability in triboelectric output. With tunable viscoelastic shear-thinning properties, the ink can be optimized for various printing techniques, allowing for the production of uniform, thin films with minimal defects. Additionally, the ink features recoverable cross-linking, which ensures it reverts to its original structure once the shear forces applied during the printing process are removed. This design framework provides a versatile, safe, and efficient approach for fabricating next-generation wearable sensor systems.