A polycation-modified nanofillers tailored polymer electrolytes fiber for versatile biomechanical energy harvesting and full-range personal healthcare sensing

The emergence of fibrous energy harvesters and self-powered sensors gives birth to functional wearable electronics. However, low power outputs, poor sensing abilities, and limited material selections have greatly restricted their developments. Herein, novel polycation-modified carbon dots (PCDs) tailored PCDs/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite polymer electrolytes (NPEs) are prepared and used as dominating triboelectric materials to construct a new NPEs-based fiber triboelectric nanogenerator (NPE-TENG) for the first time. The filling of PCDs endows NPEs with enhanced ionic conductivity. The developed NPE-TENG can respond to different mechanical stimuli with excellent flexibility and deliver a high power density of 265.8 µW m⁻¹. Self-powered wearable sensor and smart glove based on NPE-TENG are further developed, which can achieve skin-level tactile sensing and joint-related activities monitoring in a rapid, real-time, and noninvasive way. As a sustainable power source, the NPE-TENG can drive small electronics and light up hundreds of light-emitting diodes. This study not only renders new insights into the development of triboelectric materials for fiber-based TENG but also provides a direction for potential applications of fibrous biomechanical energy harvesters and self-powered sensors in wearable electronics, personal healthcare monitoring, and human–machine interactions. Copyright © 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.