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Boosting the output performance of triboelectric nanogenerators via some unique methods is always a meaningful way to speed up their commercialization. However, the available approach to boost performance is mainly restricted to one physics effect based and the basic research of boosting performance via mutual coupling effects is little research. Herein, a new strategy is creatively proposed based on charge traps from mutual coupling effects, generated from g‐C3N4/MXene‐Au composites, to further promote the output performance of triboelectric nanogenerator. It is found that photon‐generated carriers coupling surface plasmon effect enables composites filled into tribo‐material with visible light is an excellent value in boosting performance. The charge traps from mutual coupling effects for boosting performance are analyzed theoretically and verified by experiments. The output power of boosting‐triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) achieves a sixfold enhancement (20 mW) of normal TENG with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in ambient conditions. This work provides a profound understanding of the working mechanism of mutual coupling effects boosting the performance of TENG and an effective way for promoting TENG output.

The past few decades have witnessed the tremendous progress of human–machine interface (HMI) in communication, education, and manufacturing fields. However, due to signal acquisition devices’ limitations, the research on HMI related to communication aid applications for the disabled is progressing slowly. Here, inspired by frogs’ croaking behavior, a bionic triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)‐based ultra‐sensitive self‐powered electromechanical sensor for muscle‐triggered communication HMI application is developed. The sensor possesses a high sensitivity (54.6 mV mm−1), a high‐intensity signal (± 700 mV), and a wide sensing range (0–5 mm). The signal intensity is 206 times higher than that of traditional biopotential electromyography methods. By leveraging machine learning algorithms and Morse code, the safe, accurate (96.3%), and stable communication aid HMI applications are achieved. The authors' bionic TENG‐based electromechanical sensor provides a valuable toolkit for HMI applications of the disabled, and it brings new insights into the interdisciplinary cross‐integration between TENG technology and bionics., Inspired by frogs’ croaking behavior, a bionic triboelectric nanogenerator‐based ultra‐sensitive self‐powered electromechanical sensor is developed for muscle‐triggered communication human–machine interface (HMI) application. The sensor possesses a high sensitivity, a high‐intensity signal, and a wide sensing range. By leveraging machine learning algorithms and Morse code, the safe, accurate, and stable communication aid HMI applications are achieved.

Rapid advancements of artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) technology pave the way for developing a digital‐twin‐based remote interactive system for advanced robotic‐enabled industrial automation and virtual shopping. The embedded multifunctional perception system is urged for better interaction and user experience. To realize such a system, a smart soft robotic manipulator is presented that consists of a triboelectric nanogenerator tactile (T‐TENG) and length (L‐TENG) sensor, as well as a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) pyroelectric temperature sensor. With the aid of machine learning (ML) for data processing, the fusion of the T‐TENG and L‐TENG sensors can realize the automatic recognition of the grasped objects with the accuracy of 97.143% for 28 different shapes of objects, while the temperature distribution can also be obtained through the pyroelectric sensor. By leveraging the IoT and artificial intelligence (AI) analytics, a digital‐twin‐based virtual shop is successfully implemented to provide the users with real‐time feedback about the details of the product. In general, by offering a more immersive experience in human–machine interactions, the proposed remote interactive system shows the great potential of being the advanced human–machine interface for the applications of the unmanned working space., A smart soft robotic manipulator is developed with a self‐powered multifunctional sensory system for simultaneously deformation, tactile, and temperature perception. With machine learning analysis, automatic recognition of grasped objects can be realized with high accuracy. By leveraging the artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) technology, a digital‐twin‐based virtual shop is successfully implemented to provide users with a more immersive shopping experience.

Sensory and nerve systems play important role in mediating the interactions with the world. The pursuit of neuromorphic computing has inspired innovations in artificial sensory and nervous systems. Here, an all‐in‐one, tailorable artificial perception, and transmission nerve (APTN) was developed for mimicking the biological sensory and nervous ability to detect and transmit the location information of mechanical stimulation. The APTN shows excellent reliability with a single triboelectric electrode for the detection of multiple pixels, by employing a gradient thickness dielectric layer and a grid surface structure. The sliding mode is used on the APTN to eliminate the amplitude influence of output signal, such as force, interlayer distance. By tailoring the geometry, an L‐shaped APTN is demonstrated for the application of single‐electrode bionic artificial nerve for 2D detection. In addition, an APTN based prosthetic arm is also fabricated to biomimetically identify and transmit the stimuli location signal to pattern the feedback. With features of low‐cost, easy installation, and good flexibility, the APTN renders as a promising artificial sensory and nervous system for artificial intelligence, human–machine interface, and robotics applications., An all‐in‐one, tailorable artificial perception, and transmission nerve is developed for mimicking the biological sensory and nervous ability to detect and transmit the location information of mechanical stimulation. The as‐mentioned process consumes no electrical energy at all. In addition to detecting 2D stimuli by a single‐electrode mode, a self‐powered prosthetic arm is also demonstrated.

Biodegradable electronics are disposable green devices whose constituents decompose into harmless byproducts, leaving no residual waste and minimally invasive medical implants requiring no removal surgery. Stretchable and flexible form factors are essential in biointegrated electronic applications for conformal integration with soft and expandable skins, tissues, and organs. Here a fully biodegradable MgZnCa metallic glass (MG) film is proposed for intrinsically stretchable electrodes with a high yield limit exploiting the advantages of amorphous phases with no crystalline defects. The irregular dissolution behavior of this amorphous alloy regarding electrical conductivity and morphology is investigated in aqueous solutions with different ion species. The MgZnCa MG nanofilm shows high elastic strain (≈2.6% in the nano‐tensile test) and offers enhanced stretchability (≈115% when combined with serpentine geometry). The fatigue resistance in repeatable stretching also improves owing to the wide range of the elastic strain limit. Electronic components including the capacitor, inductor, diode, and transistor using the MgZnCa MG electrode support its integrability to transient electronic devices. The biodegradable triboelectric nanogenerator of MgZnCa MG operates stably over 50 000 cycles and its fatigue resistant applications in mechanical energy harvesting are verified. In vitro cell toxicity and in vivo inflammation tests demonstrate the biocompatibility in biointegrated use., Fully biodegradable MgZnCa metallic glass (MG) film is proposed for intrinsically stretchable electrodes with a high yield limit (≈2.6%), exploiting the advantages of amorphous phases with no crystalline defects. The top image shows the highly stretchable MgZnCa MG electrode integrating serpentine structure. Dissolution images of fatigue‐resistant triboelectric nanogenerator demonstrate the application of intrinsically stretchable MgZnCa MG in repeatable stretching mode.

Through years of development, the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been demonstrated as a burgeoning efficient energy harvester. Plenty of efforts have been devoted to further improving the electric output performance through material/surface optimization, ion implantation or the external electric circuit. However, all these methods cannot break through the fundamental limitation brought by the inevitable electrical breakdown effect, and thus the output energy density is restricted. Here, a method for enhancing the threshold output energy density of TENGs is proposed by suppressing the breakdown effects in the high‐pressure gas environment. With that, the output energy density of the contact‐separation mode TENG can be increased by over 25 times in 10 atm than that in the atmosphere, and that of the freestanding sliding TENG can also achieve over 5 times increase in 6 atm. This research demonstrates the excellent suppression effect of the electric breakdown brought by the high‐pressure gas environment, which may provide a practical and effective technological route to promote the output performance of TENGs., As an emerging high‐efficiency energy harvester, the output performance of the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) was limited by the inevitable electrical breakdown effect. A method for suppressing the breakdown effect in the high‐pressure gas environment is proposed here, which may provide a practical and effective technological route to promote the output performance of TENGs.

Wake‐up circuits in smart microsystems make huge contributions to energy conservation of electronic networks in unmanned areas, which still require higher pressure‐triggering sensitivity and lower power consumption. In this work, a bionic triboelectric nanogenerator (bTENG) is developed to serve as a self‐powered motion sensor in the wake‐up circuit, which captures slight mechanical disturbances and overcomes the drawback of conventional self‐powered motion sensors in the wake‐up circuit that the circuit can only be triggered when a considerable pressure is applied on the sensor. The bTENG mimics the structure of plants and the addition of the leaf‐shaped tentacle structures can increase the electrical outputs by four times, which largely extends the detection range of the wake‐up circuit. The bTENG can detect both noncontact and contact mechanical disturbances; and voltages generated from both situations can trigger the wake‐up system. Moreover, the specially designed circuit that is compatible with the bTENG can help more accurately control the wake‐up system and prolong the battery life of the electronic networks to 12.4 times. An intrusion detection system is established in the wake‐up circuit to distinguish human motion and judge the scene. This work opens new horizons for wake‐up technologies, and provides new routes for persistent sensing., A wake‐up system with low quiescent power consumption, large wake‐up range, and ability to distinguish false trigger is developed based on a plant‐shaped bionic triboelectric nanogenerator, which can be awakened by contact and noncontact mechanical disturbances. This work provides new routes for persistent sensing and may have broad applications in areas such as environmental monitoring, threat detection, perimeter monitoring, and critical infrastructure protection.

Wearable electronics presage a future in which healthcare monitoring and rehabilitation are enabled beyond the limitation of hospitals, and self‐powered sensors and energy generators are key prerequisites for a self‐sustainable wearable system. A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on textiles can be an optimal option for scavenging low‐frequency and irregular waste energy from body motions as a power source for self‐sustainable systems. However, the low output of most textile‐based TENGs (T‐TENGs) has hindered its way toward practical applications. In this work, a facile and universal strategy to enhance the triboelectric output is proposed by integration of a narrow‐gap TENG textile with a high‐voltage diode and a textile‐based switch. The closed‐loop current of the diode‐enhanced textile‐based TENG (D‐T‐TENG) can be increased by 25 times. The soft, flexible, and thin characteristics of the D‐T‐TENG enable a moderate output even as it is randomly scrunched. Furthermore, the enhanced current can directly stimulate rat muscle and nerve. In addition, the capability of the D‐T‐TENG as a practical power source for wearable sensors is demonstrated by powering Bluetooth sensors embedded to clothes for humidity and temperature sensing. Looking forward, the D‐T‐TENG renders an effective approach toward a self‐sustainable wearable textile nano‐energy nano‐system for next‐generation healthcare applications., A universal strategy for enhancing the current and charging speed of textile‐based triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) toward a wearable textile Nano‐energy nano‐system for next‐generation healthcare applications is proposed. The soft, flexible, and thin TENG textile is capable of scavenging energy from various body motions effectively, and the enhanced current can directly stimulate both nerves and muscles.

For the practical applications of wearable electronic skin (e‐skin), the multifunctional, self‐powered, biodegradable, biocompatible, and breathable materials are needed to be assessed and tailored simultaneously. Integration of these features in flexible e‐skin is highly desirable; however, it is challenging to construct an e‐skin to meet the requirements of practical applications. Herein, a bio‐inspired multifunctional e‐skin with a multilayer nanostructure based on spider web and ant tentacle is constructed, which can collect biological energy through a triboelectric nanogenerator for the simultaneous detection of pressure, humidity, and temperature. Owing to the poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanofibers spider web structure, internal bead‐chain structure, and the collagen aggregate nanofibers based positive friction material, e‐skin exhibits the highest pressure sensitivity (0.48 V kPa−1) and high detection range (0–135 kPa). Synchronously, the nanofibers imitating the antennae of ants provide e‐skin with short response and recovery time (16 and 25 s, respectively) to a wide humidity range (25–85% RH). The e‐skin is demonstrated to exhibit temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR = 0.0075 °C−1) in a range of the surrounding temperature (27–55 °C). Moreover, the natural collagen aggregate and the all‐nanofibers structure ensure the biodegradability, biocompatibility, and breathability of the e‐skin, showing great promise for practicability., In this study, a bio‐inspired multifunctional electronic skin (e‐skin) with a multilayer nanostructure based on spider web and ant tentacle is constructed, which can collect biological energy through a triboelectric nanogenerator for the simultaneous detection of pressure, humidity, and temperature. Moreover, the natural collagen aggregate and the all‐nanofiber structure ensure the biodegradability, biocompatibility, and breathability of the e‐skin.

The color‐tuning capability of solid‐state lighting (SSL) systems are highly demanded for smart lighting according to the environmental conditions, as well as wireless sensing of the environmental information. In the meanwhile, state‐of‐the‐art triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)‐based sensing systems rely on bulky and expensive devices, which require cable connections and additional power consumptions. This work aims at solving these challenges, through developing a tribo‐induced color tuner that can be integrated into the vastly distributed commercial SSL system. This tribo‐induced color tuner includes a concentric color conversion plate consisting of (Sr,Ca)AlSiN3:Eu phosphor and TiO2, a tribo‐induced liquid lens, and a rotary freestanding sliding TENG. The color oscillation between purple and pink is achieved upon the tribo‐charging by the TENG, which reveals the input mechanical motion signals. The signal can be conveniently sent by everywhere‐existed lamps and processed by everyone‐owned smartphone cameras or closed‐circuit televisions. Through this approach, the function of wireless sensing is achieved without the need of preamplification, with no additional power supply required, as demonstrated for wireless sensing of the rotation speed. The smart lighting for underwater photographing is also demonstrated by the color‐tunable SSL system with the best imaging quality achieved., A tribo‐induced color tuner is developed through integrating a triboelectric nanogenerator, a concentric color‐conversion plate, and a liquid lens, which can be incorporated into solid‐state lighting systems. The tribo‐charging can tune the color of the illumination system, benefiting the color‐tunable smart lighting (i.e., underwater photographing) and wireless sensing (i.e., wind speed monitoring).

In article number https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.201801054, Dongseob Kim, Sangmin Lee, and co‐workers present a gyroscopic generator that can generate high rotation speeds above 8000 rpm with only hand input. The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and poled poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF‐TrFE))‐based hybrid generator can produce electricity from every mechanical energy during operation, including flywheel rotation, hand gripping, centrifugal force, and vibration. The work demonstrates the potential of the gyroscopic generator as an auxiliary power source.

Rapid advances in various energy harvesters impose the challenge on integrating them into one device structure with synergetic effects for full use of the available energies from the environment. Here, a multieffect coupled nanogenerator based on ferroelectric barium titanate is reported. It promotes the ability to simultaneously scavenging thermal, solar, and mechanical energies. By integration of a pyroelectric nanogenerator, a photovoltaic cell, and a triboelectric–piezoelectric nanogenerator in one structure with only two electrodes, multieffects interact with each other to alter the electric output, and a complementary power source with peak current of ≈1.5 µA, peak voltage of ≈7 V, and platform voltage of ≈6 V is successfully achieved. Compared with traditional hybridized nanogenerators with stacked architectures, the one‐structure‐based multieffects coupled nanogenerator is smaller, simpler, and less costly, showing prospective in practical applications and represents a new trend of all‐in‐one multiple energy scavenging.

A high‐performance flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator with both patterned piezoelectric structure and aligned piezoelectric nanowires is fabricated by Yanlin Song and co‐workers via a direct writing method in article 1600120. By modulating the ink composition and the rheological behavior, the voltage output of the (Na,K)NbO3 nanowires based direct‐written device is nearly 400% compared with that of the traditional spin‐coated one due to the effectively utilizing of stress. The approach provides an efficient way to acquire piezoelectric devices with high performance for self‐powered sensors and portable personal electronics.

Developing nimble, shape‐adaptable, conformable, and widely implementable energy harvesters with the capability to scavenge multiple renewable and ambient energy sources is highly demanded for distributed, remote, and wearable energy uses to meet the needs of internet of things. Here, the first single waterproof and fabric‐based multifunctional triboelectric nanogenerator (WPF‐MTENG) is presented, which can produce electricity from both natural tiny impacts (rain and wind) and body movements, and can not only serve as a flexible, adaptive, wearable, and universal energy collector but also act as a self‐powered, active, fabric‐based sensor. The working principle comes from a conjunction of contact triboelectrification and electrostatic induction during contact/separation of internal soft fabrics. The structural/material designs of the WPF‐MTENG are systematically studied to optimize its performance, and its outputs under different conditions of rain, wind, and various body movements are comprehensively investigated. Its applicability is practically demonstrated in various objects and working situations to gather ambient energy. Lastly, a WPF‐MTENG‐based keypad as self‐powered human–system interfaces is demonstrated on a garment for remotely controlling a music‐player system. This multifunctional WPF‐MTENG, which is as flexible as clothes, not only presents a promising step toward democratic collections of alternative energy but also provides a new vision for wearable technologies.

With the rise of portable and wearable electronics, a fast‐charging, long‐lasting power solution is needed; thus, there are attempts to harvest energy from the ambient environment. Mechanical energy harvesting through piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators (PENG and TENG) is a promising approach due to their light weight, low cost, and high‐power density in comparison to other technologies. Both types of generators are capable of charging portable and smart devices on their own by converting mechanical energy into electricity. However, most previous methods have excessive input conditions, such as high rpm and input frequency, that can be only applied with other actuators. Here, a hand‐held gyroscopic generator is presented that uses the gyroscopic principle to reach a rotation rate above 8000 rpm with only hand input. The generator comprises a rotating flywheel inside a casing. Both the flywheel and casing have a TENG, and with a hybrid generator, electrical power is produced from rotation, vibration, and centrifugal force during operation. The device shows a consistent open‐circuit voltage (V OC) of 90 V and a closed‐circuit current (I CC) of 11 µA with a frequency of 200 Hz. As a stand‐alone device, this generator can power portable sensors and smartphones through hand rotation.

The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a promising mechanical energy harvesting technology, but its pulsed output and the instability of input energy sources make associated energy-storage devices necessary for real applications. In this work, feasible and efficient charging of Li-ion batteries by a rotating TENG with pulsed output current is demonstrated. In-depth discussions are made on how to maximize the power-storage efficiency by achieving an impedance match between the TENG and a battery with appropriate design of transformers. With a transformer coil ratio of 36.7, ≈72.4% of the power generated by the TENG at 250 rpm can be stored in an LiFePO4–Li4Ti5O12 battery. Moreover, a 1 h charging of an LiCoO2–C battery by the TENG at 600 rpm delivers a discharge capacity of 130 mAh, capable of powering many smart electronics. Considering the readily scale-up capability of the TENG, promising applications in personal electronics can be anticipated in the near future.

A high‐performance flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator (PNG) is fabricated by a direct writing method, which acquires both patterned piezoelectric structure and aligned piezoelectric nanowires simultaneously. The voltage output of the as‐prepared PNG is nearly 400% compared with that of the traditional spin‐coated device due to the effective utilization of stress. This facile printing approach provides an efficient strategy for significant improvement of the piezoresponse.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has attracted a great attention as an excellent 2D material for future optoelectronic devices. Here, a novel MoS2 tribotronic phototransistor is developed by a conjunction of a MoS2 phototransistor and a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) in sliding mode. When an external friction layer produces a relative sliding on the device, the induced positive charges on the back gate of the MoS2 phototransistor act as a “gate” to increase the channel conductivity as the traditional back gate voltage does. With the sliding distance increases, the photoresponsivity of the device is drastically enhanced from 221.0 to 727.8 A W−1 at the 100 mW cm−2 UV excitation intensity and 1 V bias voltage. This work has extended the emerging tribotronics to the field of photodetection based on 2D material, and demonstrated a new way to realize the adjustable photoelectric devices with high photoresponsivity via human interfacing.

A piezoelectric paper based on BaTiO3 (BTO) nanoparticles and bacterial cellulose (BC) with excellent output properties for application of nanogenerators (NGs) is reported. A facile and scalable vacuum filtration method is used to fabricate the piezoelectric paper. The BTO/BC piezoelectric paper based NG shows outstanding output performance with open-circuit voltage of 14 V and short-circuit current density of 190 nA cm−2. The maximum power density generated by this unique BTO/BC structure is more than ten times higher than BTO/polydimethylsiloxane structure. In bending conditions, the NG device can generate output voltage of 1.5 V, which is capable of driving a liquid crystal display screen. The improved performance can be ascribed to homogeneous distribution of piezoelectric BTO nanoparticles in the BC matrix as well as the enhanced stress on piezoelectric nanoparticles implemented by the unique percolated networks of BC nanofibers. The flexible BTO/BC piezoelectric paper based NG is lightweight, eco-friendly, and cost-effective, which holds great promises for achieving wearable or implantable energy harvesters and self-powered electronics.