Metal–Organic Framework Triboelectric Nanogenerator for High-Voltage Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Plasma Excitation

Material selection plays a major role in determining the electrical performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). Despite the exploration of several metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for triboelectric energy harvesting, a large number of MOF materials remain unexplored as active triboelectric layers. Similarly, although TENGs have been widely investigated for powering low-power electronics and sensing systems, the utilization of their intrinsic high-voltage output for practical plasma and gas-ionization applications remains limited. In this work, a pristine MIL-101(Cr) MOF was explored as a new active triboelectric material for high-voltage energy harvesting applications. The triboelectric polarity of MIL-101(Cr) was systematically investigated using polarity-switching and surface potential studies. The relative triboelectric behavior of MIL-101(Cr) was evaluated against different counter materials, with the MIL-101(Cr)/silicone pair selected for further electrical characterization and high-voltage applications. The fabricated MIL-101(Cr)–silicone TENG delivered a high voltage of ~1.2 kV, a short-circuit current of ~110 μA, and a maximum power density of ~8.46 W/m2. Finally, the generated high-voltage output was successfully utilized to power helium, neon, argon, and mercury discharge tubes through simple biomechanical hand tapping, directly demonstrating self-powered plasma excitation and gas ionization. The present work opens new opportunities for utilizing MOF-based TENGs in high-voltage pulsed-power, plasma-generation, and self-powered discharge-based applications.