Multifunctional Latex/Polytetrafluoroethylene-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Self-Powered Organ-like MXene/Metal–Organic Framework-Derived CuO Nanohybrid Ammonia Sensor

TLDR

Self‑powered sensors are essential for wearable devices and the Internet of Things. The study presents an organ‑like Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene/metal‑organic framework‑derived CuO gas sensor powered by a latex/PTFE triboelectric nanogenerator for room‑temperature ammonia detection. The MXene/CuO materials were characterized by SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD, and XPS, and the enhanced NH₃ sensing performance was attributed to specific material properties, as systematically discussed. The TENG produced up to 810 V peak‑to‑peak voltage and 34 µA short‑circuit current, delivering a peak power density of 10.84 W m⁻² capable of lighting 480 LEDs, while the self‑powered sensor achieved a 24.8 Vg/Va response at 100 ppm at room temperature and shows promise for monitoring pork quality.

Abstract

Self-powered sensors are crucial in the field of wearable devices and the Internet of Things (IoT). In this paper, an organ-like Ti3C2Tx MXene/metal–organic framework-derived copper oxide (CuO) gas sensor was powered by a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on latex and polytetrafluoroethylene for the detection of ammonia (NH3) at room temperature. The peak-to-peak value of open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current generated by the prepared TENG can reach up to 810 V and 34 μA, respectively. The TENG can support a maximum peak power density of 10.84 W·m–2 and light at least 480 LEDs. Moreover, a flexible TENG under a single-electrode working mode was demonstrated for human movement stimulation, which exhibits great potential in wearable devices. The self-powered NH3 sensor driven by TENG has an excellent response (Vg/Va = 24.8 @ 100 ppm) at room temperature and exhibits a great potential in monitoring pork quality. Ti3C2Tx MXene and CuO were characterized by SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD, and XPS to analyze the properties of the materials. The NH3 sensing performance of the self-powered sensor based on MXene/CuO was greatly improved, and the mechanism of the enhanced sensing properties was systematically discussed.