High-Performance MOF-303-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Self-Powered Electronics and Road Safety Applications

The search for triboelectric materials with cost-effective synthesis methods and easy integration into triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) is an intense area of research to explore their potential and achieve high output performance. The current article presents the use of metal–organic framework-303 (MOF-303) as a positive triboelectric material in developing TENGs and explores applications in road safety. MOF-303 films were directly grown on an aluminum sheet through a simple hydrothermal synthesis method, enabling easy integration into the TENG device. The positive triboelectric nature of MOF-303 is verified with standard tests. The resulting TENG, incorporating MOF-303 as the positive and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) as the negative triboelectric films, delivers an open-circuit voltage of approximately 435 V, a short-circuit current of 85 μA, and a power density of 7.4 W/m2. Furthermore, the continuous operation of the digital watch and calculator is demonstrated with the help of an energy management circuit. The present research paves the way for exploring the possibilities of the direct synthesis of MOF films on conducting substrates and exploring their actual triboelectric potential. The proposed use of these self-powered indicators represents a significant advancement toward enhancing future road safety systems. The simplicity of the fabrication process, combined with the significant output of the device, suggests excellent potential for its use in self-powered applications.