Ultrastretchable Triboelectric Nanogenerators Based on Ecoflex/Porous Carbon for Self-Powered Gesture Recognition

Stretchable triboelectric nanogenerator (STENG) has become the research hotspots in flexible power supply, which is indispensable in intelligent wearable electronics. In this work, an ultrastretchable Ecoflex/porous carbon-based STENG (EP-STENG) is presented for gesture recognition application. Due to the ultrahigh stretchability of Ecoflex (570%) and high conductivity of porous carbon, the EP thin film acts as an excellent stretchable electrode under various deformations. In addition, the output performance of the EP-STENG can enhance by adjusting the concentration of porous carbon. At a mass fraction of 0.28 wt%, the EP-STENG reaches the optimal output performance. This is due to the appropriate conductive networks and strong trapping effect. Surprisingly, the performance of the EP-STENG still remains 70% at a stretching strain of 177%, which makes it a promising wearable sensor for human-machine interaction. Finally, the EP-STENG-based stretchable sensor array can acquire gesture signal of the fingers, which can control the mechanical hand to make corresponding actions. The proposed ultrastretchable EP-STENG can promote the development of intelligent wearable system and flexible electronics.