Synergistic Effect of ZnO/MWCNT on the Performance of Ecoflex Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Mechanical Energy Harvesting

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have emerged as promising next-generation clean-energy technologies for the harvesting of electrical energy from mechanical sources. Herein, we report high-performance TENGs based on Ecoflex/ZnO and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for energy harvesting. A simple and cost-effective drop-casting method has been employed to fabricate a ZnO@Ecoflex TENG. The Ecoflex/ZnO/MWCNT composite materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). Incorporating ZnO nanoparticles of various mole percentages of (0.1–0.75 mol %) significantly enhanced the electrical conductivity of the composite by lowering internal resistance. The optimized device exhibits an average peak-to-peak open-circuit voltage (Vpp) of ∼259 V and a peak-to-peak short-circuit current (Ipp) of ∼120 μA. To further improve the performance, different weight percentages of MWCNTs (0.1–0.5 wt %) were incorporated into the ZnO@Ecoflex film containing the previously optimized 0.25 mol % ZnO. At an optimal loading of 0.4 wt % MWCNTs, the output voltage increased by 64%, achieving a maximum power density of 1.49 mW cm–2. The device successfully powered 248 commercial LEDs, demonstrating its potential for real-world energy harvesting applications. The enhanced output performance and the ability to drive small electronic devices confirm the promise of the ZnO@Ecoflex/MWCNT-based TENG as an efficient and sustainable solution for mechanical and electrical energy harvesting.