An architected silk fibroin-lignin multilayer with deep-level trapping states for high-output triboelectric nanogenerators

Abstract

Biopolymer-based triboelectric nanogenerators (B-TENGs) are promising power sources for sustainable and flexible electronics, but their performance is often limited by severe charge recombination at the triboelectric interface. To overcome this critical bottleneck, we report an architected multilayer B-TENG featuring a silk fibroin (SF)/MgAl LDH composite as the charge-generating layer and, to our knowledge, for the first time, a lignin-functionalized SF film as a dedicated charge-trapping layer. The strategic incorporation of lignin, an abundant and sustainable biopolymer, introduces deep-level electronic trapping states originating from its abundant aromatic moieties. That effectively suppresses interfacial charge recombination and prolongs charge lifetime. By optimizing the contents of MgAl LDH and lignin, the device achieves a measured open circuit output voltage ( V <inf> OC </inf>) and current density ( J <inf> SC </inf>) of 96 V and 6.56 μA/cm³, with a maximum output power ( P <inf> max </inf>) of 205 μW, corresponding to a power density of 22.7 μW/cm². We also propose a mechanistic linking of deep-level traps to prolonged charge lifetime and increased net transferable charge. The interface-engineering strategy demonstrated here paves the way for developing high-performance and sustainable biopolymer-based TENGs and motion sensors.