The human body is constantly producing energy. Every step, every movement, every heartbeat generates mechanical force that dissipates into the environment. What if we could capture it? That's the question researchers at the University of Alabama asked themselves, coming up with a surprising answer: we can do it with a simple piece of tape. By exploiting the triboelectric effect (the same one that produces the small discharges when we take off a sweater), they developed a device so efficient that it can power hundreds of LEDs. Bioenergy is no longer an abstract concept, but a tangible reality.
Bioenergy from simple adhesive tape?
Sometimes the most absurd discoveries are born by chance. This is exactly what happened in the laboratory of Professor Gang Wang at the University of Alabama, where the researcher Moonhyung Jang was testing a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). During one experiment, he noticed something unexpected: using simple duct tape as protection against electrical discharges, the device generated a surprisingly high voltage.
This fortuitous event led to the creation of an extremely cheap and efficient triboelectric generator, composed of layers of adhesive tape and metallized polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. The principle is simple: when the materials come into contact and then separate, a electric charge.
The real innovation was to replace the double-sided tape used in the first prototypes with a thicker and more resistant single-sided tape. This allowed to exploit the interaction between the polypropylene support of the tape and the acrylic adhesive layer, significantly improving the performance of the device.
Surprising power in pocket size
The numbers speak for themselves: the nanogenerator has been perfected It is capable of producing up to 53 milliwatts of power. It may seem like little, but it is enough to power a good number of people at the same time. 350 LEDs and even a laser pointer.
The secret to this power lies in the high operating frequency. While traditional TENGs are limited to frequencies below 5 Hz, this new version can operate at up to 300 Hz. In short, it can generate energy much faster, opening the way to applications that were previously unthinkable.
And do we want to talk about the ease of construction? Unlike other triboelectric nanogenerators, which require special equipment and sophisticated procedures, this bioenergy nanogenerator (you've seen it) can be made with materials available in any stationery shop.
The Wearable Future of Bioenergy
The implications of this discovery go far beyond turning on a few LEDs. The team has already integrated the nanogenerator into wearable biomedical sensors, capable of monitoring the movements of the human body and feeding themselves.
Think about the possibilities: sensors to monitor physical activity that never need to be recharged, implantable medical devices powered by heartbeats, or smartwatches that charge while you walk.
As explained the same Jang:
“Our research demonstrates how triboelectric nanogenerators can be used both as mechanical energy harvesters and as self-powered detection systems".
This approach could represent a paradigm shift in wearable design. Instead of looking for ever more powerful and long-lasting batteries, we could develop devices that constantly run on the energy we naturally produce.
Biomimicry as a source of inspiration
It is no coincidence that the principle behind these nanogenerators is inspired by the most efficient energy conversion processes present in nature and in the human body, based on the transport of ions rather than electrons.
Once again, nature shows us the way to more efficient and sustainable energy solutions. And this time, the key could be our own body, transformed from a consumer to a producer of energy.
The future of personal energy could literally be in our hands. Or rather, in the movement of our hands, fueled by the bioenergy that each of us naturally produces every day.
