Eco-friendly PVA-Walnut shell-based triboelectric nanogenerator for biomechanical energy harvesting and self-powered touch sensing

Authors

• Sabita Tripathy
• Gayatri Mohapatra
• Arjun Kumar
• Manoj Kumar Debnath

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable power in wearable electronics necessitates eco-friendly energy harvesting alternatives. Herein, a polyvinyl alcohol-walnut shell (PVA-WS) composite was developed as a biodegradable triboelectric active layer for a single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). Walnut shell powder, a lignocellulosic agricultural byproduct, was incorporated into PVA at an optimised 3 wt%, enhancing surface micro-roughness and charge trapping capability as confirmed by SEM and XRD analyses. The fabricated device yielded a peak output voltage of 130 V, short-circuit current of 390 nA, and maximum power of 20 μW at 500 MΩ under 1 Hz excitation, while also successfully harvesting biomechanical energy from human motion and functioning as a self-powered material-discriminating touch sensor, positioning PVA-WS composites as promising candidates for next-generation sustainable electronics.

DOI

10.55713/jmmm.v36i3.2664

First Page

1

Last Page

6

Recommended Citation

Tripathy, Sabita; Mohapatra, Gayatri; Kumar, Arjun; and Kumar Debnath, Manoj (2026) "Eco-friendly PVA-Walnut shell-based triboelectric nanogenerator for biomechanical energy harvesting and self-powered touch sensing," Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals: Vol. 36: No. 3, Article 18.
DOI: 10.55713/jmmm.v36i3.2664
Available at: https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/jmmm/vol36/iss3/18