A Paper‐Based Triboelectric Touch Interface: Toward Fully Green and Recyclable Internet of Things

Abstract

The transition to a sustainable society is driving the development of green electronic solutions designed to have a minimal environmental impact. One promising route to achieve this goal is to construct electronics from biobased materials like cellulose, which is carbon neutral, non-toxic, and recyclable. This is especially true for internet-of-things devices, which are rapidly growing in number and are becoming embedded in every aspect of our lives. Here, paper-based sensor circuits are demonstrated, which use triboelectric pressure sensors to help elderly people communicate with the digital world using an interface in the form of an electronic "book", which is more intuitive to them. The sensors are manufactured by screen printing onto flexible paper substrates, using in-house developed cellulose-based inks with non-hazardous solvents. The triboelectric sensor signal, generated by the contact between a finger and chemically modified cellulose, can reach several volts, which can be registered by a portable microcontroller card and transmitted by Bluetooth to any device with an internet connection. Apart from the microcontroller (which can be easily removed), the whole system can be recycled at the end of life.

Screen-Printed Piezoelectric Sensors on Tattoo Paper Combined with All-Printed High-Performance Organic Electrochemical Transistors for Electrophysiological Signal Monitoring

“…Fully SP TP-based piezoelectric sensors, each one with an active area of 64 mm 2 (Figure ), were further tested by using an actuator setup, developed in house, including also a commercial piezoelectric sensor, to quantitatively estimate the voltage response upon stable, repetitive mechanical impact . The mechanical impact was repeatedly obtained by the linear actuator at a frequency of 3 Hz (similar to the radial pulse rate), where the skin contact was mimicked by attaching a piece of natural leather.…”

“…The adjustable stage of the setup, with the piezoelectric sensor attached to its plate, allows one to set the distance between the piezoelectric sensor and the linear actuator with a micrometer screw. The plate with the attached TP-based SP piezoelectric sensor was also equipped with a commercial piezoelectric sensor (purchased from DT Sensors) to provide a quantitative evaluation of the relative impact force . The frequency of the linear actuator was controlled by adjusting the voltage waveform generated by the built-in function generator of the oscilloscope.…”

Engineering Polymer Interfaces: A Review toward Controlling Triboelectric Surface Charge

“…The field, therefore, should consider developing TENGs from biodegradable or recyclable polymer surfaces, which will mitigate the environmental impact from polymer waste. Currently, TENGs engineered from biodegradable polymers are promising, [164][165][166][167] yet still perform worse than PDMS-based systems. By combining these biodegradable TENGs with the emerging mechanistic understandings described herein, the performance can be dramatically improved while preventing further microplastic environmental pollution.…”

High-Performance Hybrid Triboelectric Generators Based on an Inversely Polarized Ultrahigh β-Phase PVDF

“…Connecting to the electricity grid is not always viable for IoT-connected devices nor are they always deployed in environments suitable for solar energy conversion. Thus, capturing energy from the environment, from mechanical or acoustic vibrations, is a promising alternative . Harvesting energy at the source of microelectronic devices limits energy loss from electricity transport and conversion processes, enables local charging of on-board batteries or supercapacitors, or can provide fully self-powered microdevices. , …”

“…Thus, capturing energy from the environment, from mechanical or acoustic vibrations, 2 is a promising alternative. 3 Harvesting energy at the source of microelectronic devices limits energy loss from electricity transport and conversion processes, 4 enables local charging of on-board batteries 5 or supercapacitors, 6 or can provide fully self-powered microdevices. 1,7 Among mechanical energy harvesting devices, triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) devices, which function through interfacial charge generation from friction and motion at a contact interface, have emerged as an exemplary technology.…”