Sutradhar Sabuj Chandra, Banik Nipa, Rahman Khan Mohammad Mizanur, Jeong Jae-Ho
Department of Energy Materials Science and Engineering, Konkuk University, Chungju-si 27478, Republic of Korea.
Research Center for Green Energy Systems, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea.
Gels. 2025 Sep 13;11(9):737. doi: 10.3390/gels11090737.
Polymer gel-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have emerged as versatile platforms for self-powered sensing due to their inherent softness, stretchability, and tunable conductivity. This review comprehensively explores the roles of polymer gels in TENG architecture, including their function as triboelectric layers, electrodes, and conductive matrices. We analyze four operational modes-vertical contact-separation, lateral-sliding, single-electrode, and freestanding configurations-alongside key performance metrics. Recent studies have reported output voltages of up to 545 V, short-circuit currents of 48.7 μA, and power densities exceeding 120 mW/m, demonstrating the high efficiency of gel-based TENGs. Gel materials are classified by network structure (single-, double-, and multi-network), matrix composition (hydrogels, aerogels, and ionic gels), and dielectric medium. Strategies to enhance conductivity using ionic salts, conductive polymers, and nanomaterials are discussed in relation to triboelectric output and sensing sensitivity. Morphological features such as surface roughness, porosity, and micro/nano-patterning are examined for their impact on charge generation. Application-focused sections detail the integration of gel-based TENGs in health monitoring (e.g., sweat, glucose, respiratory, and tremor sensing), environmental sensing (e.g., humidity, fire, marine, and gas detection), and tactile interfaces (e.g., e-skin and wearable electronics). Finally, we address current challenges, including mechanical durability, dehydration, and system integration, and outline future directions involving self-healing gels, hybrid architectures, and AI-assisted sensing. This review expands the subject area by synthesizing recent advances and offering a strategic roadmap for developing intelligent, sustainable, and multifunctional TENG-based sensing technologies.
基于聚合物凝胶的摩擦纳米发电机（TENGs）因其固有的柔软性、可拉伸性和可调电导率，已成为自供电传感的多功能平台。本文综述全面探讨了聚合物凝胶在TENG结构中的作用，包括其作为摩擦电层、电极和导电基质的功能。我们分析了四种工作模式——垂直接触分离、横向滑动、单电极和独立配置——以及关键性能指标。最近的研究报告了高达545 V的输出电压、48.7 μA的短路电流和超过120 mW/m的功率密度，证明了基于凝胶的TENGs的高效率。凝胶材料按网络结构（单网络、双网络和多网络）、基质组成（水凝胶、气凝胶和离子凝胶）和介电介质分类。讨论了使用离子盐、导电聚合物和纳米材料提高电导率的策略及其对摩擦电输出和传感灵敏度的影响。研究了表面粗糙度、孔隙率和微/纳米图案等形态特征对电荷产生的影响。以应用为重点的部分详细介绍了基于凝胶的TENGs在健康监测（如汗液、葡萄糖、呼吸和震颤传感）、环境传感（如湿度、火灾、海洋和气体检测）以及触觉接口（如电子皮肤和可穿戴电子产品）中的集成。最后，我们阐述了当前面临的挑战，包括机械耐久性、脱水和系统集成，并概述了涉及自修复凝胶、混合架构和人工智能辅助传感的未来发展方向。本文综述通过综合近期进展并为开发智能、可持续和多功能的基于TENG的传感技术提供战略路线图，扩展了该主题领域。
