Self-Powered Gesture and Multi-Human Interaction Sensing via Bioactive Compounds-Integrated Triboelectric Nanogenerator

The incorporation of naturally derived bioactive compounds (BAC) into biodegradable polymer matrices presents a promising and sustainable approach to enhancing the performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) for next-generation self-powered electronic devices. In this study, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was added with bioactive constituents extracted from turmeric (<i>Curcuma longa</i> - CL), garlic (<i>Allium sativum</i> - AS), and ginger (<i>Zingiber officinale</i> - ZO) through a solution casting technique to fabricate BAC@PVA composites. These plant-based additives, rich in functional groups and phytochemicals, significantly improved the triboelectric properties by enhancing surface roughness, dielectric behavior, and interfacial charge transfer. The structural, morphological, elemental, and chemical characteristics of the composites are thoroughly examined using XRD, SEM, EDS, and FTIR analyses. TENG devices are fabricated using the BAC@PVA composites as tribopositive layers and PVDF as the tribonegative counterpart. Among the fabricated devices, the CL@PVA-TENG demonstrated superior electrical output, achieving a peak voltage of 302 V and current of 62 μA, marking a notable improvement over pristine PVA-based TENGs. The harvested energy successfully powers capacitors and 57 blue LEDs, demonstrating practical viability. Additionally, the device functions as a self-powered sensor, capable of detecting a wide range of gestures and human interactions with high sensitivity and reliability. These multifunctional capabilities enable practical applications in wearable healthcare monitoring, interactive electronics, and smart human-machine interfaces, where precise detection of motion and touch provides real-time, user-centered benefits. Overall, this study demonstrates that reinforcing PVA with bioactive compounds offers an eco-friendly and efficient strategy for developing sustainable energy-harvesting and self-powered sensing devices.