The human body continuously generates ambient mechanical energy through diverse movements, such as walking and cycling, which can be harvested via various renewable energy harvesting mechanisms. Triboelectric Nanogenerator (TENG) stands out as one of the most promising emerging renewable energy harvesting technologies for wearable applications due to its ability to harness various forms of mechanical energies, including vibrations, pressure, and rotations, and convert them into electricity. However, their application is limited due to challenges in achieving performance, flexibility, low power consumption, and durability. Here, we present a robust and high-performance self-powered system integrated into cotton fabric by incorporating a textile-based triboelectric nanogenerator (T-TENG) based on 2D materials, addressing both energy harvesting and storage. The proposed system extracts significant ambient mechanical energy from human body movements and stores it in a textile supercapacitor (T-Supercap). The integration of 2D materials (graphene and MoS2) in fabrication enhances the performance of T-TENG significantly, as demonstrated by a record-high open-circuit voltage of 1068 V and a power density of 14.64 W/m2 under a force of 22 N. The developed T-TENG in this study effectively powers 200+ LEDs and a miniature watch while also charging the T-Supercap with 4-5 N force for efficient miniature electronics operation. Integrated as a step counter within a sock, the T-TENG serves as a self-powered step counter sensor. This work establishes a promising platform for wearable electronic textiles, contributing significantly to the advancement of sustainable and autonomous self-powered wearable technologies.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eom2.12471 

Wearable electronic textiles (e-textiles) have emerged as a transformative technology revolutionizing healthcare monitoring and communication by seamlessly integrating with the human body. However, their practical application has been limited by the lack of compatible and sustainable power sources. Various energy sources, including solar, thermal, mechanical, and wind, have been explored for harvesting, leading to diverse energy harvesting technologies, such as photovoltaic, thermoelectric, piezoelectric, and triboelectric systems. Notably, 2D materials have gained significant attention as attractive candidates for energy harvesting and storage in e-textiles due to their unique properties, such as high surface-to-volume ratio, mechanical strength, and electrical conductivity. Textile-based energy harvesters employing 2D materials offer promising solutions for powering next-generation smart and wearable devices integrated into clothing. This comprehensive review explores the utilization of 2D materials in textile-based energy harvesters, covering their preparation, fabrication, and characterization strategies. Recent advancements are highlighted, focusing on the integration of 2D materials and their practical implementations, shedding light on the performance and effectiveness of 2D-material-based energy harvesters in e-textiles, and highlighting their potential as a sustainable alternative to conventional power supplies in wearable technologies.

 https://doi.org/10.1002/sstr.202300282   

Energy harvesting textiles have emerged as a promising solution to sustainably power wearable electronics. Textile-based solar cells (SCs) interconnected with on-body electronics have emerged to meet such needs. These technologies are lightweight, flexible, and easy to transport while leveraging the abundant natural sunlight in an eco-friendly way. In this review, we comprehensively explore the working mechanisms, diverse types, and advanced fabrication strategies of photovoltaic textiles. Furthermore, we provide a detailed analysis of the recent progress made in various types of photovoltaic textiles, emphasizing their electrochemical performance. The focal point of this review centers on smart photovoltaic textiles for wearable electronic applications. Finally, we offer insights and perspectives on potential solutions to overcome the existing limitations of textile-based photovoltaics to promote their industrial commercialization. 

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsnano.3c10033 

Energy is the most dependable need of the current era. With the tendency in portable electronics and self-powered systems, researchers have been developing nanogenerators and utilizing them as self-powered energy source. High output and optimum efficiency are always a key concern. Hence, in this research work, a hybrid NG based on both piezoelectric and triboelectric phenomena is proposed and utilized for harvesting wind energy. The UV curable polyurethane (PU) and a composite of zinc oxide (ZnO) in powder form with UV curable PU (ZnO + PU) are utilized for fabricating the triboelectric NG (TENG) and Piezoelectric NG (PNG), respectively. To combine the effect of both PNG and TENG, these two nanogenerators are stacked using a sponge as a spacer by providing a uniform air gap for triboelectrification. The hybrid nanogenerator module was connected in parallel to collect the electrical energy harvested. The fabricated hybrid nanogenerators effectively produced an open-circuit voltage of ~ 120 V and current density of ~ 140 µA cm−2 across 50 Ω resistor during fast speed wind from a stand fan. Apart from that, the developed hybrid NG can light up to 50 commercial LEDs, implying that the proposed hybrid NG can be used as a self-powered energy source in portable electronics, wireless and monitoring systems.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10854-021-07591-x 

Smart and multifunctional fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites with energy storage, sensing, and heating capabilities have gained significant interest for automotive, civil, and aerospace applications. However, achieving smart and multifunctional capabilities in an FRP composite while maintaining desired mechanical properties remains challenging. Here, a novel approach for layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition of 2D material (graphene and molybdenum disulfide, MoS2)-based heterostructure onto glass fiber fabric using a highly scalable manufacturing technique at a remarkable speed of ≈150 m min−1 is reported. This process enables the creation of smart textiles with integrated energy storage, sensing, and heating functionalities. This methodology combines gel-based electrolyte with a vacuum resin infusion technique, resulting in an efficient and stable smart FRP composite with an areal capacitance of up to ≈182 µF cm−2 at 10 mV s−1. The composite exhibits exceptional cyclic stability, maintaining ≈90% capacitance after 1000 cycles. Moreover, the smart composite demonstrates joule heating, reaching from ≈24 to ≈27 °C within 120 s at 25 V. Additionally, the smart composite displays strain sensitivity by altering electrical resistance with longitudinal strain, enabling structural health monitoring. These findings highlight the potential of smart composites for multifunctional applications and provide an important step toward realizing their actual real-world applications.

 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adfm.202305901