Waste‐to‐Energy: Development of a Highly Efficient Keratin Enhanced Chitosan Bio‐Waste‐Derived Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Energy Harvesting and Real Applications

Abstract

Abstract In this study, a novel and sustainable triboelectric material is successfully designed and developed by extracting keratin from recycled fur and combining it with chitosan to create a keratin/chitosan triboelectric nanogenerator (CK‐TENG) device. The device is designed for the simultaneous treatment of waste and the generation of green and clean energy, crucial for addressing global challenges. CK is prepared through a freeze‐drying method to overcome the weak mechanical properties of keratin and achieve a high surface contact area, which is important for triboelectric properties. The results showed that the output voltage is improved by 375% compared to the TENG without keratin, with values reaching 322 V under a 6 N. It produced a high power density of 14.4 W m −2 and excellent cyclic stability for more than 8000 cycles, which are crucial for practical applications. Further, the potential applications are also studied, and the results showed that it can turn on over 250 light‐emitting diodes (LEDs), display liquid crystal display (LCD), and charge capacitors under 6 N. Moreover, it is successful in harvesting energy from waste vibrations, acoustic energy, and as a shoe, and the electrical output is utilized to power electronic devices. Furthermore, the power density harvested by the device is higher than that of TENG devices made with keratin‐rich materials. Therefore, this study paves the way for the use of keratin‐based bio‐waste materials for clean and green energy production, which can play significant roles in applications such as the charging of electronic devices, biomedicine, sensors, and smart textiles.