Biopolymer-driven self-powered active sensor: Tragacanth gum-based triboelectric nanogenerator for sustainable household appliance control

The reliance of modern self-powered electronics on synthetic polymer-based energy harvesters exacerbates electronic waste (e-waste) and contributes to a high carbon footprint, creating a critical sustainability gap in energy harvesting technologies. Addressing this requires the development of high-performance, natural biopolymer-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). This study addresses this challenge by introducing Tragacanth Gum (TG), a natural plant-based biopolymer, as a promising tribo-positive layer for the development of the Tragacanth Gum-based TENG (TG-TENG). TG’s suitability is confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, which reveal a high concentration of oxygen-containing functional groups responsible for its favorable triboelectric properties. The fabricated TG-TENG demonstrates promising performance, achieving an open-circuit voltage of 3.15 V, a short-circuit current of 2.94 μA, and a maximum power of 2.46 μW. Furthermore, the TG-TENG successfully charges commercial capacitors and is integrated into a sustainable self-powered switch to control household electric appliances, showcasing its practical application potential. This work validates the effectiveness of utilizing sustainable, plant-based materials in TENG fabrication, offering a viable and green alternative to conventional synthetic polymers for energy harvesting technologies.