Spent Catalyst-Derived Mo-MOF: Triboelectric Nanogenerators and Energy Harvesting

The spent catalysts discarded during chemical manufacturing can be a source of pollution and are classified as hazardous waste. Looking at the bright sides of the mission of waste management, such as recycling and reducing, reuse such types of the spent catalyst can be chemically treated to extract valuable salts and metals. Such a process not only reduces waste disposal issues but also promotes a circular economy ecosystem. This present study aims to extract MoO₃ from the spent petroleum catalyst, Mo–Ni/Al₂O₃, and further processing of Mo-metal organic framework (MOF) particles using extracted MoO₃ and imidazole acting as an organic binder. The structural, morphology, and thermal properties of Mo-MOF are evaluated. The surface roughness and positive surface potential of the Mo-MOF are achieved. The Mo-MOF/Kapton-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) generate a 148 V voltage, 470 nA current, and 17 nC charge. Further, TENG is utilized to charge the capacitors, and powering of the electronic devices is demonstrated. The repetition of the boxing punches and exercises can be monitored using TENGs and paves the way toward intelligent sports or healthcare.