journal article·2026-06Open access

Soft Ionic and Electronic Triboelectric Nanogenerators: Toward Attachable and Implantable Biomedical Applications

Kyongtae Choi, Jimin Park, Won Jun Song, Soohwan An, Seonggyu Choe, Byeong‐Rak Keum, Min Young Kim, Dae Hee Hwang, Young‐Geun Park, Sung‐Won Kim, Sangyul Baik, Gwang‐Bum Im, Younghoon Lee

Advanced Materials· Volume 38· Issue 32

Abstract

ABSTRACT The growing societal demand for convenient and personalized healthcare solutions has driven significant progress in human‐interactive technologies. Soft electronics, with their extrinsic deformability, have sparked innovations in the design of stretchable and highly adaptable biomedical devices that enhance wearability. Despite these advancements, portable power sources remain a key limitation, constrained by short operating times and the inconvenience of frequent recharging or battery replacement. To overcome this hurdle, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which convert mechanical energy into electricity, have emerged as promising sustainable power sources, offering high efficiency, lightweight design, and self‐sustaining operation. Recent developments in integrating TENGs with ionic materials have enabled their use on or beneath the skin, allowing the harvesting of biomechanical energy that would otherwise be wasted to power healthcare devices. This review provides a comprehensive overview of attachable and implantable TENGs, classified by electronic and ionic materials, and examines their material choices, device structures, and operational mechanisms. This review further explores various sustainable biomedical applications, assessing the performance of these devices in both sustainable power sources and self‐powered physiological signal sensing. Finally, key future research directions are outlined, including sweat tolerance, skin compliance, AI‐enabled TENG biointerfaces, acoustic transparency, minimally invasive implantation strategies, and regulatory considerations for clinical translation.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials · Dielectric materials and actuators · Conducting polymers and applications

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Mechanical Engineering Kyung Hee University Yongin Republic of Korea

Department of Mechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge Massachusetts USA

Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology Harvard Medical School Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston Massachusetts USA

Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear Boston Massachusetts USA

Department of Ophthalmology Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts USA

Department of Oral Medicine Infection, and Immunity Harvard School of Dental Medicine Boston Massachusetts USA

Renal Division, Division of Engineering in Medicine Department of Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts USA

Department of Biology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research Cambridge Massachusetts USA

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Stanford University School of Medicine Redwood City California USA

Department of Mechanical Engineering Sungkyunkwan University Suwon Republic of Korea

Department of Cardiac Surgery Boston Children's Hospital Boston Massachusetts USA

Department of Surgery Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts USA

Funding

National Research Foundation of Korea · Kyung Hee University

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