Abstract:
Apart from claiming the lives of more than 3.2
million people, the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening the global
plastic pollution every day, mainly with the overflux of single-use
polypropylene (PP) face masks. In this scenario, as an innovative
solution to mitigate plastic pollution as well as to meet the rising
electrical energy demand, we are introducing an all-flexible and
facile waste material-based triboelectric nanogenerator (WMTENG), aiding toward the circular economy. The WM-TENG
operating in contact separation mode is fabricated using the PP
from a used face mask in combination with recovered Mylar sheets
from solid wastes as triboelectric contact layers and a flexible
supporting structure. After detailed investigation and trials to study
the effect of various disinfection mechanisms of PP materials on
the energy output of WM-TENG, UV-C radiation is selected for disinfecting the used masks owing to the retention of electrical
energy output. Under a tapping force of 3 N, the WM-TENG having an active area of 6 cm2 delivers an open-circuit voltage of 200 V
and a short-circuit current density of 0.29 mA/m2
, respectively. The WM-TENG also delivered a maximum power density of 71.16
mW/m2 under 108 Ω load. Additionally, the WM-TENG is demonstrated for powering electronic gadgets such as a calculator, digital
thermometer, and LCD clock. This flexible and low-cost nanogenerator without any complex fabrication steps is a sustainable
solution for the alarming plastic pollution as well as the rising energy demands.
