Surface design of polymer-based triboelectric nanogenerators for biomedical applications

In this thesis, surface designs for polymer-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) were developed for biomedical applications. TENGs are noteworthy as sustainable and renewable energy sources and can be used in various applications in the biomedical field. In this study, dielectric and conductive surfaces based on chitosan (CH), a biopolymer that is non-toxic to the human body, were created. The conductive surfaces were modified with reduced graphene oxide (rGO), while the dielectric surfaces were modified with graphene oxide (GO), magnetite (Fe3O4), and magnetite-graphene oxide (mGO) in different ratios. Additionally, comprehensive electrical measurements, including rectifier and amplifier circuits, were conducted to evaluate the performance of the TENG. These measurements were examined changes in the output voltage of the TENG and evaluated its performance under various conditions. The components of the TENG were characterized using XRD analysis, and the surfaces were characterized with FTIR analysis. The electrical measurements indicated that TENGs with GO doped CH (Vmax=13.11 mV) are suitable for applications with low mechanical impacts, such as respiratory monitoring, pulse monitoring, and nerve stimulation. On the other hand, TENGs with mGO 1:1 doped CH (Vmax=63.31 mV) were found to be suitable for applications involving high mechanical impacts, such as implantable pacemakers, smart sports applications, and monitoring human movement. The findings demonstrate the potential of TENGs as sustainable energy sources in biomedical devices.