Spider web-inspired strong and sough PVA-based fiber membranes with interconnected network structure for green energy applications

• FAN-structured PVA membranes achieve high strength (5 MPa) and elongation (76 %). • FAN structure enables a biodegradable TENG with 315 μW/cm 2 and 20k-cycle stability. • The membrane achieves 14 °C cooling via high reflectance and emissivity. • Excellent recyclability (>6 cycles) and full soil biodegradation in 50 days. Electrospinning hydrogel fiber membranes hold promise in flexible sensing, tissue engineering, and membrane engineering. However, improving their mechanical properties while ensuring environmental friendliness remains a major challenge. In this work, a hydrogel fiber membrane with a spider silk-inspired fiber anchored network (FAN) structure was fabricated via humidity-programming electrospinning. The inter-fiber anchoring mode of the FAN structure replicates that of spider silk to achieve enhanced mechanical performance, with a tensile strength of 5.7 MPa and a maximum elongation of 76 %. The FAN hydrogel fiber membrane has been applied in the fields of biodegradable triboelectric nanogenerators (BD-TENG) and passive daytime radiation cooling (PDRC), demonstrating excellent performance. The BD-TENG assembled using this hydrogel fiber membrane achieved a power density of 315 μW/cm 2 and maintained stable operation over 20,000 cycles. Experimental analysis indicates that the hydrogel fiber membrane, benefiting from the introduction of the FAN structure, facilitates charge generation and transmission during triboelectric charging, thereby enhancing the overall performance of the BD-TENG. In terms of PDRC, the inherent fiber structure endows the hydrogel fiber membrane with 93.78 % solar spectrum reflectance, achieving a maximum cooling effect of 14 °C at noon. The raw materials used in this study are environmentally friendly and non-toxic. The hydrogel fiber membrane exhibits good recyclability and biodegradability, which can be recycled 6 times without significant performance degradation and completely degraded naturally in soil within 50 days. This membrane synergizes high mechanical strength, efficient green energy conversion, passive energy-saving, recyclability, and eco-friendliness, offering a sustainable platform for next-generation green energy technologies.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Applied Materials Today
Published
2026-02-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2026.103129
Primary Topic
Solar-Powered Water Purification Methods
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Spider web-inspired strong and sough PVA-based fiber membranes with interconnected network structure for green energy applications

Ying Bi, Daili Feng, Yanli Wang, Wenjing Qin et al.
Applied Materials Today
Solar-Powered Water Purification Methods
article

Spider web-inspired strong and sough PVA-based fiber membranes with interconnected network structure for green energy applications

Ying Bi, Daili Feng, Yanli Wang, Wenjing Qin, Song Xue
article en

Abstract

• FAN-structured PVA membranes achieve high strength (5 MPa) and elongation (76 %). • FAN structure enables a biodegradable TENG with 315 μW/cm 2 and 20k-cycle stability. • The membrane achieves 14 °C cooling via high reflectance and emissivity. • Excellent recyclability (>6 cycles) and full soil biodegradation in 50 days. Electrospinning hydrogel fiber membranes hold promise in flexible sensing, tissue engineering, and membrane engineering. However, improving their mechanical properties while ensuring environmental friendliness remains a major challenge. In this work, a hydrogel fiber membrane with a spider silk-inspired fiber anchored network (FAN) structure was fabricated via humidity-programming electrospinning. The inter-fiber anchoring mode of the FAN structure replicates that of spider silk to achieve enhanced mechanical performance, with a tensile strength of 5.7 MPa and a maximum elongation of 76 %. The FAN hydrogel fiber membrane has been applied in the fields of biodegradable triboelectric nanogenerators (BD-TENG) and passive daytime radiation cooling (PDRC), demonstrating excellent performance. The BD-TENG assembled using this hydrogel fiber membrane achieved a power density of 315 μW/cm 2 and maintained stable operation over 20,000 cycles. Experimental analysis indicates that the hydrogel fiber membrane, benefiting from the introduction of the FAN structure, facilitates charge generation and transmission during triboelectric charging, thereby enhancing the overall performance of the BD-TENG. In terms of PDRC, the inherent fiber structure endows the hydrogel fiber membrane with 93.78 % solar spectrum reflectance, achieving a maximum cooling effect of 14 °C at noon. The raw materials used in this study are environmentally friendly and non-toxic. The hydrogel fiber membrane exhibits good recyclability and biodegradability, which can be recycled 6 times without significant performance degradation and completely degraded naturally in soil within 50 days. This membrane synergizes high mechanical strength, efficient green energy conversion, passive energy-saving, recyclability, and eco-friendliness, offering a sustainable platform for next-generation green energy technologies.

Applied Materials TodayVol. 49
Tianjin University of Technology (CN), Foshan University (CN), Guangdong Shunde Innovative Design Institute (CN), University of Science and Technology Beijing (CN)
Responsible consumption and production
Openalex Percentile: Top 55%
Solar-Powered Water Purification Methods
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.