Highly Sensitive Solid-Liquid Interfacing Triboelectric Nanosensor for Self-Powered Mercury Ion Detection

Abstract

Till date, the potential of the solid-liquid triboelectric nanosensor for chemical sensing applications have remained unexplored. In this work, the first self-powered nanosensor based on solid-liquid triboelectric effect for the detection of mercury ions is substantiated. The triboelectric nanosensor was designed by using tellurium nanowires as the solid triboelectric layer and deionized water as the liquid triboelectric layer. Owing to the highly specific reaction between tellurium and mercury ions, the as-developed triboelectric nanosensor have proved to be highly selective and thereby have the capability to distinguish even small traces of mercury ions in complex environmental samples. The triboelectric nanosensor can offer a detection range of 10 nM-10 mM toward mercury ions. Moreover, hydrophilic and hydrophobic tellurium nanowires were synthesized to evaluate the effect of surface properties on the efficiency of triboelectric nanosensor. Based on the results, it is believed that solid-liquid triboelectric effect will be a new and efficient tool for the designing of rapid, portable and low-cost chemical nanosensors.