An approach to designing smart future electronics using nature-driven biopiezoelectric/triboelectric nanogenerators

Abstract

With the advancement of the modern ultrasmart world, our surroundings have become a dumping ground for electronic wastes, which not only is a threat to human lives, but has become dangerous for any living creature as well as for ecosystems. To keep our ecosystems healthy, the need has arisen to take immediate action against electronic waste. To overcome these issues, the design of smart devices with nontoxic, biodegradable or biocompatible materials is urgently desired, which will lead to devices that are easily recyclable, processable, and safe for the environment/living creatures. In recent times, piezoelectric/triboelectric nanogenerators (PNGs/TNGs) have attracted more and more attention among other renewable green energy-harvesting sources because of their easy accessibility, abundant sources, and conversion of mechanical energy into green electricity. Due to the toxic nature and incompatibility of inorganic/some organic-based PNGs/TNGs the designing of effective nature-driven bionanogenerator (PNG/TNG) devices with biocompatible/biodegradable materials would be a smart approach toward a future green electronics world. Here, we discuss the effectiveness of biowaste biodegradable materials in green energy harvesting technologies and their possible applications in a future smart/portable electronics world. Furthermore, using biowaste materials in energy-harvesting technology will help to clean biowastes from the environment as well as society. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.