High-efficiency preparation of multifunctional conjugated electrospun graphene doped PVDF/CF yarns for energy harvesting and human movement monitoring in TENG textile

Portable power is an effective solution to realize self-powered sensors for wearable devices, promoting future sustainable development. Membrane-based triboelectric nanogenerators (M-TENGs) have emerged as a promising technology for harvesting biomechanical energy from human motion owing to their advantages, such as simple structure, lightweight design, and efficient energy conversion. However, the poor durability, low adaptability, and un-washability of two-dimensional membrane materials have largely hindered their application in wearable electronics. In this study, we propose a sheath–core polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/graphene (G)-carbon fiber (CF) yarn fabricated via conjugate electrospinning, comprising a commercial CF core and an electrospun graphene-doped PVDF sheath, which improves the fatigue resistance of electrospun nanofiber films under prolonged friction and keeps a high degree of freedom. The resulting electronic textile, woven with the large-scale electrospun PVDF/G-CF yarn, demonstrates a remarkable power density of 25.5 mW·m−2. The tight distribution of PVDF/G nanofibers on the textile surface ensures excellent softness, washability, and durability. Furthermore, the electrospun PVDF/G-CF textile exhibits significant potential in pressure sensing, self-powered operation, and motion detection, making it highly suitable for wearable electronics applications.