2D material decorated ZnO for screen printable wearable textile-based piezoelectric nanogenerator

Ali, Iftikhar; Yue, Xicai Alex; Gaster, Benedict; Hussain, Delowar; Dudem, Bhaskar; Silva, S Ravi P; Parraman, Carinna

Abstract

Future wearable electronics require sustainable power sources, and nanogenerators offer promising solutions to convert ambient mechanical energy to electricity while ensuring flexibility, durability, and practical deployment. This work demonstrates a textile-based piezoelectric nanogenerator (T-PENG), which is durable and scalable energy-harvesting system, using the inherent strength of two-dimensional (2D) materials to elevate the performance metrics significantly. Screen printable 2D graphene ink was used for developing the textile-based flexible electrodes. The composite layer was prepared using zinc oxide (ZnO) enclosed molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) (MoS2@ZnO) and a screen printable paste. The incorporation of 2D MoS2 into the T-PENG system significantly enhances its output performance. This improvement is further validated by COMSOL computer simulations, aligns closely with the experimental findings. At 10wt% of MoS2, d33 value of our device reaches ~5.67pC/N, a ~3-fold improvement over the MoS2-free device. Furthermore, T-PENG resulted in significantly high open-circuit voltage (Voc) of ~60V, and a peak power density (J) of 126.84mW/m 2. Moreover, T-PENG demonstrates high durability and flexibility, while retaining ~92% of its output power over three months and sustaining ~90% efficiency after 500 bending cycles. T-PENG demonstrated to power over 60 blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) and functions as a self-powered sensor. These advancements position MoS2 as a significant material for next-generation multifunctional smart textiles.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 7, 2025
• Deposit Date: Jul 30, 2025
• Journal: Energy & Environmental Materials
• Electronic ISSN: 2575-0356
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: Wearable electronics; piezoelectric; nanogenerator; self-powered; e-textile; energy harvesting
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/14727344