Enhancing Triboelectric Nanogenerator Performance with Metal–Organic-Framework-Modified ZnO Nanosheets for Self-Powered Electronic Devices and Energy Harvesting

Abstract

Enhancing the power density of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) poses a significant obstacle to the advancement of self-powered systems. TENGs present numerous advantages such as cost-effectiveness, simplicity in design, and the ability to harness various forms of energy found in nature. Surface modification has emerged as a promising strategy to improve TENG performance, and in this article, an innovative approach is introduced. The ZnO nanosheet surface is modified by synthesizing zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF)-8 particles on them and used for TENG fabrication. The TENG devices were constructed using pure ZnO and ZIF-8@ZnO films with poly(methyl methacrylate) as a fixed opposite triboelectric layer. After introducing ZIF-8 on the surface of ZnO, the output performance of TENG was increased by 1.39 times in terms of output voltage and 1.44 times in terms of output current compared to those of pure ZnO-based TENG. Further, the output power density increased from 455 to 800 mW/m2. In addition to the higher power density, the proposed TENG is demonstrated for powering portable electronic devices and an array of light-emitting diodes. This research opens diverse routes for designing and optimizing TENGs using metal–organic framework (MOF)-modified ZnO nanosheets, thereby advancing self-powered devices and renewable energy technologies. Furthermore, similarly exploring different MOFs holds excellent potential for further enhancing the TENG performance, offering exciting prospects for future developments in this field.