Conformation‐Modulated Lignin for Durable and High‐Output Cellulosic Triboelectric Materials Toward Self‐Powered Sensing

Cellulose-based triboelectric sensors offer a sustainable pathway toward self-powered electronics, yet their practical reliability is severely constrained by long-term tribo-induced fiber fibrillation and the resulting interfacial degradation. Herein, we report a conformation-engineered alkali lignin (EAL) that enables simultaneous enhancement of mechanical durability and electrical output in cellulose-based triboelectric materials. Succinic-anhydride grafting introduces flexible aliphatic side chains into the rigid lignin backbone, granting dynamic conformational adaptability that promotes chain sliding and efficient frictional energy dissipation. This molecular strategy significantly suppresses interfacial wear, reducing the wear rate of the EAL/Cellulose composite by 52.44% after 5000 cycles. Conformation modulation also improves dielectric polarization, leading to markedly increased triboelectric performance, with the optimized device delivering high Voc, Isc, and Qsc values of 100 V, 5.26 µA, and 56.87 nC. The EAL/Cellulose-based sensor exhibits high signal fidelity in robotic finger sliding detection and handwriting recognition, and maintains stable performance after 500 times repeated writing. In addition, the EAL/Cellulose composite demonstrates strong recyclability in a natural environment and rapid enzymatic degradability within 24 h. This work presented a conformation-guided molecular design strategy for developing durable, high-output, and eco-friendly cellulose-based triboelectric devices for next-generation self-powered sensing.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Science
Published
2026-02-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.73715
Primary Topic
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Conformation‐Modulated Lignin for Durable and High‐Output Cellulosic Triboelectric Materials Toward Self‐Powered Sensing

Tianshuang Bao, Zhanhui Yuan, Weiwei Zhao, Linlin Wang et al.
Advanced Science
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
article

Conformation‐Modulated Lignin for Durable and High‐Output Cellulosic Triboelectric Materials Toward Self‐Powered Sensing

Tianshuang Bao, Zhanhui Yuan, Weiwei Zhao, Linlin Wang, Jian Du, Yilin Wang, Chao Li, Haisong Wang, Yehan Tao, Dong Lv, Chenglong Fu
article en

Abstract

Cellulose-based triboelectric sensors offer a sustainable pathway toward self-powered electronics, yet their practical reliability is severely constrained by long-term tribo-induced fiber fibrillation and the resulting interfacial degradation. Herein, we report a conformation-engineered alkali lignin (EAL) that enables simultaneous enhancement of mechanical durability and electrical output in cellulose-based triboelectric materials. Succinic-anhydride grafting introduces flexible aliphatic side chains into the rigid lignin backbone, granting dynamic conformational adaptability that promotes chain sliding and efficient frictional energy dissipation. This molecular strategy significantly suppresses interfacial wear, reducing the wear rate of the EAL/Cellulose composite by 52.44% after 5000 cycles. Conformation modulation also improves dielectric polarization, leading to markedly increased triboelectric performance, with the optimized device delivering high Voc, Isc, and Qsc values of 100 V, 5.26 µA, and 56.87 nC. The EAL/Cellulose-based sensor exhibits high signal fidelity in robotic finger sliding detection and handwriting recognition, and maintains stable performance after 500 times repeated writing. In addition, the EAL/Cellulose composite demonstrates strong recyclability in a natural environment and rapid enzymatic degradability within 24 h. This work presented a conformation-guided molecular design strategy for developing durable, high-output, and eco-friendly cellulose-based triboelectric devices for next-generation self-powered sensing.

Advanced ScienceVol. 13(16)
Pohang University of Science and Technology (KR), Birmingham City University (GB), City University of Hong Kong (HK), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (CN), Dalian Polytechnic University (CN)
Responsible consumption and production
Openalex Percentile: Top 63%
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.