Roadmap on bio-derived materials for wearable triboelectric devices

To establish sustainable pathways in a wide range of unattended mobile electronics and systems, such as wearable healthcare devices and robots, it is useful to develop unique electronic devices capable of harvesting and storing their operational power from the working environment. Triboelectric Nanogenerator (TENG) is groundbreaking energy and sensor technology that efficiently converts wasted mechanical energy into electricity. However, most TENG prototypes were comprised of non-biodegradable or biocompatible materials, which severely restricts the potential of TENG in wearable and implantable applications. This article discusses the latest advances in human-integrated technology that employ bio-derived wearable triboelectric sensors. The triboelectric and electrode materials employed in these bio-derived TENG devices will be discussed. New discoveries in bio-derived wearable triboelectric sensors for ubiquitous human applications, such as tactile and motion sensing, vital signs monitoring and healthcare, intelligent communications, and interaction, and chemical sensing, will also be discussed. Finally, we will discuss the opportunities and challenges inherent in developing wearable, human-integrated triboelectric sensors based on bio-derived natural materials.