Synergistic Effect of ZnO/MWCNT on the Performance of Ecoflex Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Mechanical Energy Harvesting

Authors

• Md Arafat Hossain, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
• Md. Wasikur Rahman, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
• Victoria Padilla, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
• Mohammed Jasim Uddin, SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-27-2026

Abstract

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have emerged as promising next-generation clean-energy technologies for the harvesting of electrical energy from mechanical sources. Herein, we report high-performance TENGs based on Ecoflex/ZnO and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for energy harvesting. A simple and cost-effective drop-casting method has been employed to fabricate a ZnO@Ecoflex TENG. The Ecoflex/ZnO/MWCNT composite materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). Incorporating ZnO nanoparticles of various mole percentages of (0.1–0.75 mol %) significantly enhanced the electrical conductivity of the composite by lowering internal resistance. The optimized device exhibits an average peak-to-peak open-circuit voltage (V_pp) of ∼259 V and a peak-to-peak short-circuit current (I_pp) of ∼120 μA. To further improve the performance, different weight percentages of MWCNTs (0.1–0.5 wt %) were incorporated into the ZnO@Ecoflex film containing the previously optimized 0.25 mol % ZnO. At an optimal loading of 0.4 wt % MWCNTs, the output voltage increased by 64%, achieving a maximum power density of 1.49 mW cm^–2. The device successfully powered 248 commercial LEDs, demonstrating its potential for real-world energy harvesting applications. The enhanced output performance and the ability to drive small electronic devices confirm the promise of the ZnO@Ecoflex/MWCNT-based TENG as an efficient and sustainable solution for mechanical and electrical energy harvesting.

Comments

© 2026 American Chemical Society. This content will become publicly available on February 27, 2027  

Recommended Citation

Hossain, Md Arafat, Md Wasikur Rahman, Victoria Padilla, and Mohammed Jasim Uddin. "Synergistic Effect of ZnO/MWCNT on the Performance of Ecoflex Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Mechanical Energy Harvesting." ACS Applied Engineering Materials 4, no. 2 (2026): 743-761. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.5c01029

Publication Title

ACS Applied Engineering Materials

DOI

10.1021/acsaenm.5c01029