Application of nanogenerators in self-powered microfluidic systems

The microfluidic system provides a novel method for simultaneously carrying out microfluidic manipulation, detection and analyzation in a tiny chip with designed microchannels, which has the advantage of simple structure and low sample consumption and has been widely studied in past decades. However, the normal operation of the microfluidic system could not be separated from the role of ancillary equipment which is often bulky, high-cost, and needs an external power supply. To improve the portability and simplify the structure of microfluidic systems, different types of nanogenerators (NGs) with advantages of small dimensions, simple structure, low cost and eco-friendly were integrated with microfluidic chips, and various self-powered microfluidic systems with distinctive functions have been developed. In this review, the recent research progress of NG-based self-powered microfluidic systems was summarized and discussed from two aspects: triboelectric generator (TENG) based self-powered microfluidic manipulation system and NG based self-powered microfluidic sensing system. Furthermore, the remaining challenges and future optimizing direction of NG-based self-powered microfluidic systems were also elaborated.