Recent Progress in Advanced Units of Triboelectric Electronic Skin

Electronic skin (e-skin) is facing new challenges owing to the development of artificial intelligence. Among the existing working modes, triboelectric-based e-skin (TES) can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and can be used as a sensor to directly output an electrical signal without additional power supply. Therefore, with the advantages of self-powering, low cost, and wide application of materials, TES provides a new concept for developing e-skin and has been extensively studied. Starting from TES, this review describes the working principle and application of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) in e-skin. Existing materials for TES can be mainly divided into fiber textiles, gels, liquid-based materials, and degradable materials. Therefore, the material section is divided into four chapters to describe the properties of each material. As for the structure of TES, the transition from single-channel to multi-channel for the multifunctionalization of TES is described, and the various links required for a TES-based closed-loop system are introduced. Based on these advanced units, the recent progress as well as the current challenges and future development prospects of TES are reviewed.

Automated summary

This review explores the working principle and application of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) in electronic skin (e-skin), and discusses the existing materials and structure of TES. The recent progress, challenges, and future development prospects of TES are also reviewed.