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Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoelectric ceramics have emerged as a leading material for human motion monitoring and energy harvesting applications due to their exceptional piezoelectric properties, high Curie temperature, and versatility in device fabrication. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of PZT ceramics, including their crystal structure, phase diagram, and the mechanisms underlying their piezoelectric response. The intrinsic and extrinsic contributions to the piezoelectric properties of PZT are discussed, along with the key factors influencing its performance. Various PZT-based devices for human motion monitoring, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and pressure sensors, are explored, highlighting their advantages and commercial implementations. Moreover, the application of PZT materials in energy harvesting from human motion is examined, focusing on device configurations, performance metrics, and state-of-the-art PZT energy harvesters. Strategies for enhancing the performance of PZT ceramics and the challenges associated with their use are also addressed. Finally, future research directions are outlined, emphasising the development of lead-free alternatives, advanced manufacturing techniques, and the integration of PZT with other functional materials for multifunctional and self-powered motion monitoring systems.

As a promising energy‐harvesting technique, an increasing number of researchers seek to exploit the piezoelectric effect to power electronic devices by harvesting the energy associated with water flow. In this emerging field, a variety of research themes attract interest for investigation; these include selection of the excitation mechanism, oscillation structure, piezoelectric material, power management interface circuit, and application. Since there has been no comprehensive review to date with respect to the harvesting of water flow using piezoelectric materials, herein relevant work in the last 25 years is reviewed. To ensure that key aspects of the water‐flow energy harvester are overviewed, they are discussed in the context of energy‐flow theory, which includes the three stages of energy extraction, energy conversion, and energy transfer. The development of each energy‐flow process is reviewed in detail and combined with meta‐analysis of the published literature. Correlations between the harvesting processes and their contribution to the overall energy‐harvesting performance are illustrated, and directions for future research are also proposed. In this review, a comprehensive understanding of water‐flow piezoelectric energy harvesting is provided and it is aimed to guide future research and the development of piezoelectric harvesters for water‐flow‐powered devices is promoted.

Polymer dielectric materials have recently attracted attention for their versatile applications in emerging electronic devices such as memory, field-effect transistors (FETs), and triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). This review highlights the advances in polymer dielectric materials and their integration into these devices, emphasizing their unique electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties that enable high performance and flexibility. By exploring their roles in self-sustaining technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Everything (IoE)), this review emphasizes the importance of polymer dielectric materials in enabling low-power, flexible, and sustainable electronic devices. The discussion covers design strategies to improve the dielectric constant, charge trapping, and overall device stability. Specific challenges, such as optimizing electrical properties, ensuring process scalability, and enhancing environmental stability, are also addressed. In addition, the review explores the synergistic integration of memory devices, FETs, and TENGs, focusing on their potential in flexible and wearable electronics, self-powered systems, and sustainable technologies. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state and prospects of polymer dielectric-based devices in advanced electronic applications by examining recent research breakthroughs and identifying future opportunities.

In recent decades, the development of electronic technology has provided opportunities for the Internet of Things, biomedicine, and energy harvesting. One of the challenges of the Internet of Things in the electrification era is energy supply. Centralized energy supply has been tested over hundreds of years of history, and its advantages such as ideal output power and stable performance are obvious, but it cannot meet the specific needs of the Internet of Things, and distributed energy supply also has a large demand. Since the invention of nanogenerators, another promising solution for fluid energy harvesting has been opened up. The triboelectric nanogenerator is an emerging platform technology for electromechanical energy conversion, which can realize the collection of fluid energy such as wind energy and wave energy. In this paper, we first introduce the fundamentals of triboelectric nanogenerators and their applications in wind and wave energy harvesting devices. We then discuss the methods of device optimization in the next development of TENG and conclude by considering the future prospects and challenges for triboelectric nanogenerator harvesting devices.

Quick and effective point-of-care (POC) devices have the chance to revolutionize healthcare in developed and developing countries since they can operate anywhere the patient is, with the possibility of obtaining and sending the results to the doctor without delay. In recent years, significant efforts have focused on developing new POC systems that can screen for biomarkers continuously and non-invasively in body fluids to prevent, diagnose, and manage diseases. However, one of the critical challenges left to address is how to power them effectively and sufficiently. In developing countries and rural and remote areas, where there are usually no well-established electricity grids or nearby medical facilities, and using batteries is unreliable or not cost-effective, alternative power sources are the most challenging issue for stand-alone and self-sustained POC devices. Here, we provide an overview of the techniques for used self-powering POC devices, where the sample is used to detect and simultaneously generate energy to power the system. Likewise, this paper introduced the state-of-the-art with a review of different research projects, patents, and commercial products for self-powered POCs from the mid-2010s until present day.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are meeting significant advancements in biomedical sectors by replacing conventional healthcare systems. TENGs have a significant productive impact on the future commercialization of self-powered medical devices. Architecting biocompatible TENGs for in vivo and in vitro applications without compromising their overall performance is one amongst the significant challenge in impregnating TENG science into biomedical technologies. This review article is committed to presenting the most recent advancements of TENG materials in therapeutics and healthcare monitoring, tissue repairing, cell proliferation and regenerative medicine, implantable devices, drug delivery, and microbial disinfection. A special emphasis on cutting-edge TENG applications in neural prosthesis and muscle stimulation which are inevitable assets to the near future medical ailment is discussed in detail. Besides, a thrust on the importance of impregnating biomaterials in TENG-based healthcare system is specified. Eventually, the difficulties and challenges in the current methods are examined, along with discussions on workable ideas for future improvements in the conclusive remarks.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which can transfer surrounding environmental mechanical stimuli into electricity effectively, could be an ideal candidate as a sustainable power supply for electrical devices. High voltage TENG is one of the four main application directions of TENG. There have already been many studies on TENG as a high voltage source. However, the high-voltage TENG has developed so rapidly that it has strong necessity to summarize the latest reports. In this review, we focus on the recent progress in the design and diverse applications of the high-voltage TENG. Firstly, we systematically analyze and summarize the effective ways of improving the output properties of TENG. Secondly, a detailed overview of several latest self-powered smart systems and applications based on the high-voltage TENG are illustrated, including micro/nano electromechanical systems, electrically responsive materials, drug delivery systems, capacitive sterilization systems, electrostatic manipulation systems and microplasma control systems. Finally, the possible trends and perspectives of the high voltage TENG are summarized.

Since 2012, a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has provided new possibilities to convert tiny and effective mechanical energies into electrical energies by the physical contact of two objects. Over the past few years, with the advancement of materials’ synthesis and device technologies, the TENGs generated a high instantaneous output power of several mW/cm2, required to drive various self-powered systems. However, TENGs may suffer from intrinsic and practical limitations such as air breakdown that affect the further increase of the outputs. This article provides a comprehensive review of high-output TENGs from fundamental issues through materials to devices. Finally, we show some strategies for fabricating high-output TENGs.

Abstract The color‐tuning capability of solid‐state lighting (SSL) systems are highly demanded for smart lighting according to the environmental conditions, as well as wireless sensing of the environmental information. In the meanwhile, state‐of‐the‐art triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)‐based sensing systems rely on bulky and expensive devices, which require cable connections and additional power consumptions. This work aims at solving these challenges, through developing a tribo‐induced color tuner that can be integrated into the vastly distributed commercial SSL system. This tribo‐induced color tuner includes a concentric color conversion plate consisting of (Sr,Ca)AlSiN3:Eu phosphor and TiO2, a tribo‐induced liquid lens, and a rotary freestanding sliding TENG. The color oscillation between purple and pink is achieved upon the tribo‐charging by the TENG, which reveals the input mechanical motion signals. The signal can be conveniently sent by everywhere‐existed lamps and processed by everyone‐owned smartphone cameras or closed‐circuit televisions. Through this approach, the function of wireless sensing is achieved without the need of preamplification, with no additional power supply required, as demonstrated for wireless sensing of the rotation speed. The smart lighting for underwater photographing is also demonstrated by the color‐tunable SSL system with the best imaging quality achieved.

With the rapid development of the internet of things (IoT), sustainable self-powered wireless sensory systems and diverse wearable and implantable electronic devices have surged recently. Under such an opportunity, nanogenerators, which can convert continuous mechanical energy into usable electricity, have been regarded as one of the critical technologies for self-powered systems, based on the high sensitivity, flexibility, and biocompatibility of piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) and triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). In this review, we have thoroughly analyzed the materials and structures of wearable and implantable PENGs and TENGs, aiming to make clear how to tailor a self-power system into specific applications. The advantages in TENG and PENG are taken to effectuate wearable and implantable human-oriented applications, such as self-charging power packages, physiological and kinematic monitoring, in vivo and in vitro healing, and electrical stimulation. This review comprehensively elucidates the recent advances and future outlook regarding the human body’s self-powered systems.

A sustainable power source to meet the needs of energy requirement is very much essential in modern society as the conventional sources are depleting. Bioenergy, hydropower, solar, and wind are some of the well-established renewable energy sources that help to attain the need for energy at mega to gigawatts power scale. Nanogenerators based on nano energy are the growing technology that facilitate self-powered systems, sensors, and flexible and portable electronics in the booming era of IoT (Internet of Things). The nanogenerators can harvest small-scale energy from the ambient nature and surroundings for efficient utilization. The nanogenerators were based on piezo, tribo, and pyroelectric effect, and the first of its kind was developed in the year 2006 by Wang et al. The invention of nanogenerators is a breakthrough in the field of ambient energy-harvesting techniques as they are lightweight, easily fabricated, sustainable, and care-free systems. In this paper, a comprehensive review on fundamentals, performance, recent developments, and application of nanogenerators in self-powered sensors, wind energy harvesting, blue energy harvesting, and its integration with solar photovoltaics are discussed. Finally, the outlook and challenges in the growth of this technology are also outlined.

The emergence of modern technologies, such as Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), the Internet-of-Things (IoT), and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications, involves the use of batteries, which pose a serious environmental risk, with billions of batteries disposed of every year. However, the combination of sensors and wireless communication devices is extremely power-hungry. Energy Harvesting (EH) is fundamental in enabling the use of low-power electronic devices that derive their energy from external sources, such as Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC), solar power, thermal and kinetic energy, among others. Plant Microbial Fuel Cell (PMFC) is a prominent clean energy source and a step towards the development of self-powered systems in indoor and outdoor environments. One of the main challenges with PMFCs is the dynamic power supply, dynamic charging rates and low-energy supply. In this paper, a PMFC-based energy harvester system is proposed for the implementation of autonomous self-powered sensor nodes with IoT and cloud-based service communication protocols. The PMFC design is specifically adapted with the proposed EH circuit for the implementation of IoT-WSN based applications. The PMFC-EH system has a maximum power point at 0.71 V, a current density of 5 mA cm − 2 , and a power density of 3.5 mW cm − 2 with a single plant. Considering a sensor node with a current consumption of 0.35 mA, the PMFC-EH green energy system allows a power autonomy for real-time data processing of IoT-based low-power WSN systems.

With the great development of the Internet of Things (IoT), the use of sensors have increased rapidly because of the importance in the connection between machines and people. A huge number of IoT sensors consume vast amounts of electrical power for stable operation and they are also used for a wide range of applications. Therefore, sensors need to operate independently, sustainably, and wirelessly to improve their capabilities. In this paper, we propose an orientation and the tilt triboelectric sensor (OT-TES) as a self-powered active sensor, which can simultaneously sense the tilting direction and angle by using the two classical principles of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction. The OT-TES device consists of a rectangular acrylic box containing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) balls moved by gravity. The output voltage and current were 2 V and 20 nA, respectively, with a PTFE ball and Al electrode. The multi-channel system was adopted for measuring the degree and direction of tilt by integrating the results of measured electrical signals from the eight electrodes. This OT-TES can be attached on the equipment for drones or divers to measure their stability. As a result, this proposed device is expected to expand the field of TES, as a sensor for sky and the underwater.