Leveraging Bio-Waste onion skin for High-Performance triboelectric nanogenerators
Journal
Chemical Engineering Journal
Journal Volume
506
Start Page
160136
ISSN
1385-8947
Date Issued
2025-01-15
Author(s)
Abstract
Environmental pollution and energy generation are often significant challenges in pursuing sustainable green energy solutions. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) offer promising advantages such as high output performance, low cost, and high material selectivity, positioning them as renewable green energy sources. However, most triboelectric materials are derived from plastics, posing environmental concerns. In this study, we present a triboelectric nanogenerator based on bio-waste and biodegradable materials—onion skins (OSs)—utilizing four different cultivars of OSs (Allium cepa L. var. cepa onion skin, Allium cepa L. var. Hybrid onion skin, Allium cepa L. var. Diamant onion skin, and Allium cepa L. var. Rubiniu onion skin). A high-conductivity electrode solution, incorporating a surfactant, was applied to coat the hydrophobic onion skin, serving as the positive triboelectric layer. This approach addresses the issue of the solid–solid interface in traditional bio-waste TENGs by using a liquid–solid configuration, resulting in improved output performance. Among the different cultivars, Allium cepa L. var. Rubiniu onion skin exhibited the highest output voltage of 800 V and power of 0.8 mW/cm2, capable of lighting 375 red light-emitting diodes (LEDs), attributed to its superior surface roughness. The ROS-TENG based on Rubiniu onion skin also demonstrated remarkable durability, withstanding 10,000 cycles at a 4 Hz frequency and 50 N external force. This high biodegradability, coupled with a simple fabrication process and enhanced output performance, underscores the potential of ROS-TENGs as sustainable, efficient energy-harvesting devices. Furthermore, the ROS-TENG can be designed for applications in electronic devices and smart sensors, enabling the detection of body motion and various external forces, thereby opening up new avenues for future research and application in green energy systems.
Subjects
Allium cepa
Biowastes
Environmental energy
Environmental pollutions
External force
Green energy
Nanogenerators
Onion skin
Output performance
Performance
Nanoclay
SDGs
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Type
journal article