A4 Refereed article in a conference publication
Biomimetic Breathable Surfaces for Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Energy Harvesting
Authors: Barua, Amit; Sharma, Vipul
Editors: Babic, Snjezana; Car, Zeljka; Cicin-Sain, Marina; Ergovic, Pavle; Grbac, Tihana Galinac; Gradisnik, Vera; Gros, Stjepan; Jovic, Alan; Jurekovic, Darko; Katulic, Tihomir; Koricic, Marko; Mornar, Vedran; Petrovic, Juraj; Skala, Karolj; Skvorc, Dejan; Sruk, Vlado; Tijan, Edvard; Valacich, Joe; Vrcek, Neven; Vrdoljak, Boris
Conference name: MIPRO ICT and Electronics Convention
Publication year: 2025
Journal: International Convention on Information and Communication Technology, Electronics and Microelectronics
Book title : 2025 MIPRO 48th ICT and Electronics Convention
Volume: 48
First page : 1739
Last page: 1743
ISBN: 979-8-3315-3598-8
eISBN: 979-8-3315-3597-1
ISSN: 1847-3938
eISSN: 1847-3946
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/MIPRO65660.2025.11131975
Web address : https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11131975
This work presents a flexible, bioinspired triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that harnesses the unique microfractal architecture of natural leaf skeletons to enhance energy harvesting performance. By integrating leaf skeletons coated with metal nanowires as current collectors with biomimetic tribopositive Nylon 6 and tribonegative PVDF layers, the resulting biomimetic TENG offers significantly improved charge generation, higher output power density, and excellent mechanical durability. The intrinsic hierarchical and fractal patterns of the leaf skeletons endow the device with both enlarged surface area and enhanced charge carrier density, while simultaneously providing breathable, flexible interfaces ideal for wearable applications. Characterization results demonstrate how these fractal features increase surface roughness, improve contact intimacy, and boost triboelectric charge transfer efficiency under mechanical stimuli. Preliminary tests for body energy harvesting underscore this TENG's potential in sustainable and portable energy solutions. Overall, this study highlights the effectiveness of bioinspired fractal architectures in driving performance improvements ranging from enhanced durability to superior breathability in next-generation triboelectric energy harvesting devices.
Funding information in the publication:
This work is supported by funding from the KONE Foundation (decision number 202012035), the Research Council of Finland (grant no. 331368), and project DURATRANS (364408, 2024-2027, under the framework of M-ERA.Net). Authors are thankful to the Materials Research Infrastructure (MARI) and Sustainable Fabrication (SusFab) at the University of Turku for infrastructure facilities. Amit Barua is thankful to Tekniikan edistämissäätiö (TES) Foundation for encouragement support. The authors acknowledge Rituporn Gogoi from the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Turku for his assistance with SEM analysis.
