Fully Bioabsorbable Natural‐Materials‐Based Triboelectric Nanogenerators

TLDR

Implantable medical devices treat neurological and cardiovascular diseases, yet the emerging field of transient electronics requires a biocompatible, controllable, and fully bioabsorbable power source. The study develops fully bioabsorbable natural‑materials‑based triboelectric nanogenerators (BN‑TENGs) for in‑vivo use. By ranking the triboelectric series of five natural materials, combining them in single and pairwise configurations, and encapsulating the device in silk fibroin, the authors created tunable BN‑TENGs that operate for days to weeks and fully degrade in rats. The BN‑TENG delivers up to 55 V, 0.6 µA, and 21.6 mW m⁻², and when used as a voltage source, it accelerates beating rates and improves contraction consistency of dysfunctional cardiomyocyte clusters, offering a potential treatment for bradycardia and arrhythmia.

Abstract

Abstract Implantable medical devices provide an effective therapeutic approach for neurological and cardiovascular diseases. With the development of transient electronics, a new power source with biocompatibility, controllability, and bioabsorbability becomes an urgent demand for medical sciences. Here, various fully bioabsorbable natural‐materials‐based triboelectric nanogenerators (BN‐TENGs), in vivo, are developed. The “triboelectric series” of five natural materials is first ranked, it provides a basic knowledge for materials selection and device design of the TENGs and other energy harvesters. Various triboelectric outputs of these natural materials are achieved by a single material and their pairwise combinations. The maximum voltage, current, and power density reach up to 55 V, 0.6 µA, and 21.6 mW m −2 , respectively. The modification of silk fibroin encapsulation film makes the operation time of the BN‐TENG tunable from days to weeks. After completing its function, the BN‐TENG can be fully degraded and resorbed in Sprague–Dawley rats, which avoids a second operation and other side effects. Using the proposed BN‐TENG as a voltage source, the beating rates of dysfunctional cardiomyocyte clusters are accelerated and the consistency of cell contraction is improved. This provides a new and valid solution to treat some heart diseases such as bradycardia and arrhythmia.