(549g) Whole Biomass Aerogel-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Sensing

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is an emerging ambient technique that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, demonstrating promising capabilities as distributed micro-power supplies, self-powered sensors, and more. However, conventional materials used in TENGs are mainly synthetic polymers, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), which are neither sustainable nor biodegradable. Many efforts have been made to fabricate sustainable TENGs with natural polymers, such as cellulose, chitosan, and alginate. In a previous study, we demonstrated a novel method for fabricating cellulose II aerogels using lithium bromide trihydrate (LBTH) as a solvent. The obtained aerogels were homogeneous and highly flexible with high porosity and large specific surface area, and the TENG made from the aerogels exhibited excellent performance in mechanical response sensitivity and electrical output. However, the preparation of pure cellulose from biomass requires complicated pulping processes that involve the utilization of harmful chemicals and additional energy and water consumption. Therefore, it is promising to fabricate aerogels directly from whole lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, we developed a method to fabricate lignocellulosic biomass aerogels directly from whole poplar biomass through the dissolution-regeneration process in LBTH. We systematically investigated and quantified the effect of different parameters, including aerogel preparation conditions, chemical composition, and surface modification, on the electric output performance. Moreover, the fabricated TENG can serve as a self-powered pressure sensor to sense different external stimuli under different working modes. Overall, this study showcases a sustainable and economically feasible fabrication method of whole lignocellulosic biomass aerogels and demonstrates their capability for constructing TENGs and self-powered sensors, offering new ideas in developing more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy harvesting and self-powered sensing devices.