fields is breaking out, such as the Internet of Things (IoTs), big data, humanoid robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI). Nowadays, the rapid advancement of these functional electronic devices is transforming the way people communicate with each other and with their surroundings, which has integrated our world into an intelligent information network. Owing to that no electronics works without electricity, the processes of human informatization and intelligence depend on broad energy supplies and powerful power supports. In other words, electric power can be regarded as the flowing blood that keeps every components of the current society running normally and healthily. However, with the rapid consumption of conventional fossil fuels as well as the growing voice of environmental protection, the current energy structure and its supply status are facing unprecedented challenges. On the one hand, the overwhelming energy crisis and ecological deterioration have become huge bottlenecks restricting socioeconomic development.[1] Some serious situations may even worsen to the root of interstate interest conflicts or the disaster that threatens the survival of mankind. In this case, the transform of energy structure from scarce, pollution-prone, and irreproducible mineral resources to abundant, environmentally friendly, and renewable green energies is desperately required. On the other hand, the traditional centralized, immobile, and ordered energy supply patterns based on power plants are incompatible with the present development of functional electronics associated with individual person, which follows a general trend of miniaturization, portability, and low power. As the information age is coming, billions of things must be connected with sensors for various measurements, perceptions, controls, and data transmissions. [2] These mobile, human-oriented, randomly and massively distributed sensing networks also require the corresponding matched power supply system. Therefore, it turns out that the unreasonable energy structures as well as the mismatched supply pattern lead to the current development dilemma.Portable power supplies and self-powered systems are the most promising solutions for the above straits. For wearable power sources, one of the compromises is to choose small-size Integration of advanced nanogenerator technology with conventional textile processes fosters the emergence of textile-based nanogenerators (NGs), which will inevitably promote the rapid development and widespread applications of next-generation wearable electronics and multifaceted artificial intelligence systems. NGs endow smart textiles with mechanical energy harvesting and multifunctional self-powered sensing capabilities, while textiles provide a versatile flexible design carrier and extensive wearable application platform for their development. However, due to the lack of an effective interactive platform and communication channel between researchers specializing in NGs and those good at textiles, it is rather difficult to achieve fiber...
There is an increasing interest to develop a next generation of touch pads that require stretchability and biocompatibility to allow their integration with a human body, and even to mimic the self‐healing behavior with fast functionality recovery upon damage. However, most touch pads are developed based on stiff and brittle electrodes with the lack of the important nature of self‐healing. Polyzwitterion–clay nanocomposite hydrogels as a soft, stretchable, and transparent ionic conductor with transmittance of 98.8% and fracture strain beyond 1500% are developed, which can be used as a self‐healing human–machine interactive touch pad with pressure‐sensitive adhesiveness on target substrates. A surface‐capacitive touch system is adopted to sense a touched position. Finger positions are perceived during both point‐by‐point touch and continuous moving. Hydrogel touch pads are adhered to curved or flat insulators, with the high‐resolution and self‐healable input functions demonstrated by drawing, writing, and playing electronic games.
The detection of partial discharge through analysis of SF6 gas components in gas-insulated switchgear, is significant for the diagnosis and assessment of the operating state of power equipment. The present study proposes the use of a TiO2 nanotube array sensor for detecting the SF6 decomposition product SO2, and the application of the anodic oxidation method for the directional growth of highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays. The sensor response of 10–50 ppm SO2 gas is tested, and the sensitive response mechanism is discussed. The test results show that the TiO2 nanotube sensor array has good response to SO2 gas, and by ultraviolet radiation, the sensor can remove attached components very efficiently, shorten recovery time, reduce chemical poisoning, and prolong the life of the components.
Accompanying the boom in multifunctional wearable electronics, flexible, sustainable, and wearable power sources are facing great challenges. Here, a stretchable, washable, and ultrathin skin‐inspired triboelectric nanogenerator (SI‐TENG) to harvest human motion energy and act as a highly sensitive self‐powered haptic sensor is reported. With the optimized material selections and structure design, the SI‐TENG is bestowed with some merits, such as stretchability (≈800%), ultrathin (≈89 µm), and light‐weight (≈0.23 g), which conformally attach on human skin without disturbing its contact. A stretchable composite electrode, which is formed by homogenously intertwining silver nanowires (AgNWs) with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanofiber networks, is fabricated through synchronous electrospinning of TPU and electrospraying of AgNWs. Based on the triboelectrification effect, the open‐circuit voltage, short‐circuit current, and power density of the SI‐TENG with a contact area of 2 × 2 cm2 and an applied force of 8 N can reach 95 V, 0.3 µA, and 6 mW m−2, respectively. By integrating the signal‐processing circuits, the SI‐TENG with excellent energy harvesting and self‐powered sensing capability is demonstrated as a haptic sensor array to detect human actions. The SI‐TENG exhibits extensive applications in the fields of human–machine interface and security systems.
Continuously boosting the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and delving deeper into its functionalities are essential problems faced by the very new antimony selenosulfide (Sb2(S,Se)3) solar technology. Here, a convenient and effective solution post‐treatment (SPT) technique is used to fabricate high‐performance Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells, where alkali metal fluorides are applied to improve the quality of Sb2(S,Se)3 films in terms of morphology, crystallinity, and conductivity. In particular, this approach is able to manipulate the S/Se gradient in the films and creates favorable energy alignment which facilitates the carrier transport. As a result, the fill factor and short‐circuit current density of Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells (Glass/FTO/Zn(O,S)/CdS/Sb2(S,Se)3/Spiro‐OMeTAD/Au) based on the SPT strategy are significantly enhanced, achieving a champion efficiency of 10.7%. To date, this conversion efficiency value represents the highest efficiency of all Sb‐based solar cells. This study provides an effective post‐treatment strategy for improving the quality of Sb2(S,Se)3 film which sheds new light on the fabrication of high‐efficiency Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells.
Wearable, flexible, and even stretchable tactile sensors, such as various types of electronic skin, have attracted extensive attention, which can adapt to complex and irregular surfaces, maximize the matching of wearable devices, and conformally apply onto human organs. However, it is a great challenge to simultaneously achieve breathability, permeability, and comfortability for their development. Herein, mitigating the problem by miniaturizing and integrating the sensors is tried. Highly flexible and stretchable coaxial structure fiber‐shaped triboelectric nanogenerators (F‐TENGs) with a diameter of 0.63 mm are created by orderly depositing conductive material of silver nanowires/carbon nanotubes and encapsulated polydimethylsiloxane onto the stretchable spandex fiber. As a self‐powered multifunctional sensor, the resulting composite fiber can convert mechanical stimuli into electrical signals without affecting the normal human body. Moreover, the F‐TENGs can be easily integrated into traditional textiles to form tactile sensor arrays. Through the tactile sensor arrays, the real‐time tactile trajectory and pressure distribution can be precisely mapped. This work may provide a new method to fabricate fiber‐based pressure sensors with high sensitivity and stretchability, which have great application prospects in personal healthcare monitoring and human–machine interactions.
Textile-based triboelectric nanogenerators (T-TENGs), combining the functions of energy harvesting and self-powered sensing with advantages of breathability and flexibility, have received intensive attention, which is vital to the rapid advancements in smart textiles. However, there exists few reports of T-TENGs applied to fires under the intelligent era of high requirements for devices with versatility and multiscenario practicability. Here, in combination with flame-retardant conductive cotton fabric, polytetrafluoroethylene-coated cotton fabric, and a divider, a low-cost and environmentally friendly flame-retardant textile-based triboelectric nanogenerator (FT-TENG) is developed, which is endowed with excellent fire resistance and outstanding energy harvesting capabilities. The cotton fabrics treated with a layer-by-layer self-assembly method show great self-extinguishing performance. Besides, the maximum peak power density of the FT-TENG can reach 343.19 mW/m2 under the tapping frequency of 3 Hz. Furthermore, the FT-TENG still keeps 49.2% of the initial electrical output even after being burned at 17 different positions; 34.48% of the electrical output is also retained when the FT-TENG is exposed to 220 °C. Moreover, the FT-TENGs are successfully applied as energy harvesters for firefighters and self-powered sensors for forest self-rescue and fire alarm systems. This work may provide a promising potential for multifunctional smart textiles in energy harvesting, self-powered sensing, and life or property security.
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