Intrinsic Flame Retardant Triboelectric Nanogenerators Based on Liquid-Crystalline Copolyesters

The development of intrinsic flame retardant tribo-electric nanogenerators (TENGs) employed at extremely high temperatures and directly in contact with flames attracts researchers' attention but is tough to achieve. In this work, we develop a fire-resistant and self-extinguishing TENG (FRTENG) that can be used as a power generator in extreme application scenarios, for example, firefighting, personal protection, or applying in extreme high -temperature conditions. The FRTENG profits by the extraordinary thermal characteristics of liquid-crystalline polyarylate copolymerized with poly(ethylene terephthalate), whose flame retardancy, antidrip-ping, and triboelectric properties have been significantly enhanced. This FRTENG is fire-resistant and antidripping after 15 s of trying, while the traditional triboelectric materials were totally burned by flames under the same circumstances. Our FRTENG can maintain over 53% of original electrical output performance even after 15 s of combustion (similar to 500 degrees C) while providing excellent flame retardancy missing in the existing TENGs. It is believed that the fire -retardant and self-extinguishing FRTENG will be a path-breaking device for lifesaving wearable applications.

Automated summary

This article presents a fire-resistant and self-extinguishing TENG using liquid-crystalline polyarylate copolymerized with poly(ethylene terephthalate). It shows excellent electrical output performance even after 15 seconds of combustion at high temperatures, making it a promising device for lifesaving wearable applications.