Researchers at the University of Toronto used materials derived from wood to create
Biosensors are widely used in wearableelectronics, but today they are powered by batteries, which makes the devices bulky and requires constant charging. Engineers believe that sensors without batteries could be thinner, smaller and cheaper. In their paper, published in the journal Nano Energy, the scientists use the triboelectric effect, a form of static electricity, to create a natural sensor.
Researchers note that many engineersare working on using the triboelectric effect to power wearable devices. But most modern designs use synthetic materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon). The new material is made of nanofibrils, tiny strands of plant material that are hundreds of thousands of times thinner than a human hair.
In an experiment, scientists have shown thatthe device generates 160% more voltage and 140% more current than a similar device using PTFE. The power of the device during testing was enough to send out an RF signal every three minutes, which was picked up by a nearby smartphone.
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