Chitosan-Phytic Acid-Based Flame-Retardant Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Fire Safety Applications

The development of safety alarm systems and sustainable power generators that can sustain extreme temperature environments and contact with fire can be lifesaving, but challenging at the same time. Here, a biomaterial (chitosan-phytic acid) coated non-flammable cotton fabric-based triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is developed that can be used as a self-powered fire alarm system in extreme situations. A single-electrode mode-based flame-retardant TENG (FR-TENG) is fabricated using an aluminum electrode, chitosan, and phytic acid-coated cotton fabric using a layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly method as the active material. Structural, morphological, and thermal characterization is performed to confirm the uniform distribution of the active material in the cotton fabric. The treated cotton fabric demonstrates excellent flame retardancy and excellent self-extinguishing in the soaking and dry LBL method. In addition, the FR-TENG produces an excellent electrical output voltage, current, and charge of 62 V, 170 nA, and 17 nC. Finally, the FR-TENG is used as a fire alarm system integrated with a programmed microcontroller unit, where a warning LED lights up when some fire situations occur, followed by a fire alarm on the screen to initiate a rescue operation. This work shows great potential for eco-friendly self-powered systems based on non-flammable materials that can be lifesaving in the future.