journal article·2026-03Open access

Conformation‐Modulated Lignin for Durable and High‐Output Cellulosic Triboelectric Materials Toward Self‐Powered Sensing

Lujie Wang, Jian Du, Yilin Wang, Tianshuang Bao, Chao Li, Yehan Tao, Jinwen Hu, Chenglong Fu, Dong Lv, Weiwei Zhao, Zhanhui Yuan, Haisong Wang

Advanced Science· Volume 13· Issue 16

Abstract

ABSTRACT Cellulose‐based triboelectric sensors offer a sustainable pathway toward self‐powered electronics, yet their practical reliability is severely constrained by long‐term tribo‐induced fiber fibrillation and the resulting interfacial degradation. Herein, we report a conformation‐engineered alkali lignin (EAL) that enables simultaneous enhancement of mechanical durability and electrical output in cellulose‐based triboelectric materials. Succinic‐anhydride grafting introduces flexible aliphatic side chains into the rigid lignin backbone, granting dynamic conformational adaptability that promotes chain sliding and efficient frictional energy dissipation. This molecular strategy significantly suppresses interfacial wear, reducing the wear rate of the EAL/Cellulose composite by 52.44% after 5000 cycles. Conformation modulation also improves dielectric polarization, leading to markedly increased triboelectric performance, with the optimized device delivering high Voc, Isc, and Qsc values of 100 V, 5.26 µA, and 56.87 nC. The EAL/Cellulose‐based sensor exhibits high signal fidelity in robotic finger sliding detection and handwriting recognition, and maintains stable performance after 500 times repeated writing. In addition, the EAL/Cellulose composite demonstrates strong recyclability in a natural environment and rapid enzymatic degradability within 24 h. This work presented a conformation‐guided molecular design strategy for developing durable, high‐output, and eco‐friendly cellulose‐based triboelectric devices for next‐generation self‐powered sensing.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials · Supercapacitor Materials and Fabrication · Advanced Cellulose Research Studies

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

Affiliations

Liaoning Key Lab of Lignocellulose Chemistry and BioMaterials Liaoning Collaborative Innovation Center for Lignocellulosic Biorefinery College of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering Dalian Polytechnic University Dalian China

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Pohang University of Science and Technology Pohang Republic of Korea

School of Energy and Environment City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China

Birmingham Centre for Energy Storage (BCES) & School of Chemical Engineering University of Birmingham Birmingham UK

College of Materials Engineering Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China

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