Applying a triboelectric nanogenerator by using facial mask for flexible touch sensor

Abstract

With the development of artificial intelligence, research on the touch sensor has become a popular object. Here, we proposed a novel triboelectric nanogenerator based on the facial mask (FM-TENG) for harvesting mechanical energy, and it can also serve as a flexible touch sensor. A series of triboelectricity experiments show that facial mask has a strong ability to lose electrons. The FM-TENG can generate good performance, as evidenced by peak short-circuit current (Isc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), and power density values of 37.48 μA, 1037 V, and 727.78 μW/cm2, respectively. Commercial electronics, including an electronic calculator, and a total of 150 high-power light-emitting diodes (LEDs), were easily driven by the FM-TENG. Additionally, the facial mask is harmless material for human skin, and thus it is smeared on the skin to form a self-powered flexible touch sensor to distinguish the different states of fingers. As a new-efficient method for developing low-cost bio-mechanical energy harvesters and self-powered touch sensors, we also foresee that an alert touch sensing system represents tremendous progress in the smart wireless sensor networks.