A volatile organic compound free unibody triboelectric nanogenerator and its application as a smart green track

Exercise not only builds up one's health but also reduces the risk of developing diseases including type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Being one of the most classic and popular sports, track and field will does harm to one's knees if not enough buffering is provided by the track. In a world that is urgently calling for environmental protection while steadily embracing the internet of things, environment-friendliness and smartness should also be taken into consideration when designing an optimized track. Hitherto most of the tracks are made of in-situ casted polyurethane (PU) and prefabricated ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), which leads to emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including polycyclic aromatic, hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates etc. In the meantime, intelligentization is seldom taken in consideration when designing and fabricating a track. Herein, we introduce an unibody silicone rubber-based track featured by adequate buffering providing, environment-friendliness, energy harvesting and sensing with an expected service life of about several decades. We also established a finite element model of the track to assess its deformation and energy dissipation capabilities. This track can work as a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) whose current density is 703 nA/cm2, serving as both an electric generator and a gait sensor. It will give guidance to the development of unibody TENG and open a new avenue for the next generation of self-powered smart track.

Automated summary

Exercise not only improves health but also reduces the risk of diseases. However, track and field sports can harm the knees without proper buffering. Most tracks are made of materials that emit volatile organic compounds and lack smart features. In this study, a unibody silicone rubber-based track was introduced with adequate cushioning, environmental-friendliness, energy harvesting, and sensing capabilities. It can function as both an electric generator and a gait sensor, providing guidance for the development of self-powered smart tracks.