Comparative analysis of triboelectric behavior of natural waste biomaterials and green energy harvesting

This study examines the triboelectric behavior of fibers that are readily available and were obtained from the bombax ceiba tree (BOM) and the calotropis plant (CALO). A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is fabricated from these fibers as charge-generating layers that produce a charge by contact electrification. The properties of these fibers which include surface morphology and crystallographic nature are examined using different characterization techniques. Scanning electron microscopy images reflect more roughness in CALO as compared to BOM whereas both materials show an almost amorphous nature in X-ray diffraction data. Further, both materials show tribopositive nature when tested against polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and nylon. While examining their electrical performance, the CALO–PTFE pair produced 11.1 V while 10.7 V is generated from the BOM–PTFE pair. These combinations are capable of illuminating multiple light-emitting diodes of the green spectrum and can derive one digital calculator. Lastly, the dependency of TENG performance on the contact area of active layers is analyzed. From the results obtained, it is concluded that these materials can potentially power small electronic gadgets and can contribute to the growth of a sustainable civilization.