Fire/Acid/Alkali-Resistant Aramid/Carbon Nanofiber Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Self-Powered Biomotion and Risk Perception in Fire and Chemical Environments

Abstract

Casualties are frequent in high-risk environments, particularly in high-risk chemical and high-temperature fire environments, due to improper protection or accidents. While wearable sensors can offer real-time biomechanical monitoring in fire and chemical environments, they cause discomfort, contain toxic heavy metals, and lack resistance to fire and acid/alkali. Herein, a facile approach to fabricating metal-free fire/acid/alkali-resistant poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) fiber and carbon nanofiber composite triboelectric nanogenerator (PMIA/CNF-TENG) was demonstrated. The PMIA/CNF-TENG shows the advantages of textile construction including flexibility, waterproofing, and moisture permeability. It also exhibits unique functions, such as ultrahigh fire/temperature resistance, strong acid and alkali protection, the ability to monitor human signals in real time with self-power, handwritten input for danger signals, and sudden risk perception. The PMIA/CNF-TENG possessed an open-circuit voltage (V_OC) retention rate of 96.8% even at 250 °C, thereby showing considerably higher thermal stability than conventional flame-retardant TENGs. When moved from room temperature to a simulated fire environment, the biomotion-generated V_OC increased by 136.7% for bending the elbow and by over 900% for hand input, indicating good fire-sensing capability. In addition, output signal strength by solid–liquid contact depended on the solution type and corresponded to the laws—NaOH > HNO₃ > H₂SO₄ > H₂O, indicating potential applications in chemical splash detection and active acid–alkali liquid identification. Moreover, the PMIA/CNF-TENG could be built into wireless intelligent sensing systems to achieve remote biomotion and risk perception.

Graphical Abstract

Funding

Key Technologies Research and Development Program(No. 2021YFC2600301); Postdoctoral Research Foundation of China(2020M671580); Jiangsu Postdoctoral Research Foundation(2021K579C); Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20200968)