Fully biocompatible and biodegradable triboelectric nanogenerator based on PVA/Chitosan fibers and PLA fibers with enhanced output performance

Abstract

The integration of biodegradable materials into the design of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) offers a sustainable pathway for energy harvesting. While most prior research has focused on enhancing the performance of tribonegative materials, here we present a novel strategy to improve the tribopositive component. In this work, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was blended with chitosan to enhance electron-donating ability through the formation of free hydroxyl groups at the molecular interface, thereby boosting the tribopositive properties of the material. We developed a TENG device composed of PVA/Chitosan fibers paired with PLA fibers. The interaction between PVA and chitosan introduces abundant hydroxyl functionalities, significantly improving surface tribopositivity. The resulting TENG achieved a remarkable power density of 0.018 mW/cm², which is approximately 12 times greater than that of a TENG based on pure PVA fibers. Beyond its impressive output performance, the PVA/Chitosan-based TENG successfully powered small electronic devices such as wristwatches and demonstrated excellent biocompatibility and biodegradibility. These results highlight the great potential of this eco-friendly TENG design in next-generation.