Development of Functional Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Antibacterial Applications

Abstract

Pathogenic bacteria that give rise to diseases every year remain a major health concern. In recent years, tellurium-based nanomaterials have been approved as new and efficient antibacterial agents. In this paper, we developed the approach to directly grow tellurium nanowires onto commercial carbon fiber fabric and demonstrated that they can be used as triboelectric and antibacterial materials. During the operation of the as-prepared triboelectric nanogenerator, the release of tellurite (TeO3 2‒) ions would help to suppress the growth of Escherichia coli (E. coil) cells. We also studied the effect of electric output on the antibacterial activity. Higher electric output would contribute the better antibacterial activity. In addition, compared to Ag nanoparticles that are commonly used as antibacterial reagents, tellurium nanowires can provide higher antibacterial activity and lower toxicity.