Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Synergizing Machine Learning Algorithm with Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Advanced Self-Powered Sensing Systems

This review examines how triboelectric nanogenerators -- devices that harvest energy from motion and contact between materials -- can be combined with machine learning to create self-powered sensors for the Internet of Things. While not directly about microplastics, the technology has potential applications in environmental monitoring, including detecting microplastic contamination in water and air without requiring external power sources.

2024 Nanomaterials 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Cellulose-based fabrics triboelectric nanogenerator: Effect of fabric microstructure on its electrical output

This study explored how the microstructure of different commercial cellulose-based fabrics (cotton and other textiles) affects the performance of fabric-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), finding that fiber characteristics and weave structure significantly influence electricity generation.

2023 Journal of Metals Materials and Minerals 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Electrification Mechanism and Critical Performance Factors of Animal Fur Fiber‐Based Soft‐Contact Triboelectric Nanogenerators

Researchers developed a soft-contact fur-based triboelectric nanogenerator (F-B TENG) using natural animal fur as a flexible triboelectric medium to achieve high electrical output with minimal environmental impact. The study examined the contact electrification mechanism and key performance factors, noting that surface wear in conventional TENGs generates microplastics, making natural fur a lower-impact alternative.

2025 Advanced Functional Materials
Article Tier 2

Enhanced Area Triboelectric Nanogenerator Utilizing Recycled Single Used Plastic Bubble Wrap and Discarded Sketching Paper Ensuring Circularity of Material

Researchers developed a low-cost triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) made from recycled single-use bubble wrap and discarded sketching paper, demonstrating a way to convert waste plastics into functional energy-harvesting devices. The study suggests that repurposing plastic waste into sustainable electronics could help address both plastic pollution and energy consumption concerns.

2025 1 citations
Article Tier 2

COVID-19 clinical waste reuse: A triboelectric touch sensor for IoT-cloud supported smart hand sanitizer dispenser

Researchers repurposed COVID-19 waste (surgical masks and nitrile gloves) to fabricate a triboelectric nanogenerator — a device that converts mechanical motion into electricity — and integrated it with IoT cloud services to power a touchless hand sanitizer dispenser, demonstrating a waste-to-energy approach to pandemic plastic pollution.

2023 Nano Energy 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Self-Powered Water Quality Monitoring Using AlGaN/GaN Hemt Powered By Rotational Teng

Researchers built a self-powered water quality sensor combining an AlGaN/GaN transistor with a triboelectric nanogenerator that harvests energy from water flow, achieving nanomolar-level detection of heavy metals, pesticides, and microplastics without an external power source.

2025 ECS Meeting Abstracts
Article Tier 2

Research on the Performance of a Liquid–Solid Triboelectric Nanogenerator Prototype Based on Multiphase Liquid

Researchers developed a prototype liquid-solid triboelectric nanogenerator using multiphase liquids including oil and deionized water as dielectric materials for energy harvesting. They investigated the power generation performance across single-phase, two-phase, and three-phase liquid configurations. While focused on energy technology, the work relates to environmental sensing applications that could potentially be adapted for monitoring water quality and detecting contaminants.

2025 Micromachines 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Engineering Polymer Interfaces: A Review toward Controlling Triboelectric Surface Charge

Researchers reviewed how modifying the surface properties of polymer insulators can enhance their ability to generate electrical charge through contact, a principle used in triboelectric nanogenerators. They found that altering a polymer's mechanical, thermal, chemical, and surface texture properties can directly boost charge generation. The study provides a roadmap for engineering more efficient polymer-based devices that convert mechanical energy into electricity.

2023 Advanced Materials Interfaces 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Triboelectric Nanogenerator-Based Electronic Sensor System for Food Applications

This paper is not about microplastics. It reviews triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology for food safety applications, including self-powered sensors for detecting contaminants during food production and monitoring. While TENGs use polymer materials and the review mentions environmental protection broadly, the study focuses on food quality testing technology rather than microplastic contamination.

2023 Electronics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic detection and recognition system enabled by a triboelectric nanogenerator and machine learning techniques

Researchers developed a simple, rapid microplastic detection and identification device combining liquid-solid contact electrification with machine learning algorithms. The system could distinguish between different types of microplastics in water based on open-circuit voltage differences, offering a lower-cost and faster alternative to conventional detection methods.

2026 The Analyst
Article Tier 2

Design and Performance Evaluation of a “Fixed-Point” Spar Buoy Equipped with a Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Unit for Floating Near-Shore Applications

Researchers designed and tested a scaled model of a spar buoy equipped with a wave energy harvesting system. While focused on renewable energy generation at sea, buoy technologies could also be adapted to monitor microplastic contamination in open ocean environments.

2021 Sensors 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Applications of Semiconducting Electrides in Mechanical Energy Conversion and Piezoelectric Systems

This engineering paper explored semiconducting electride materials for use in piezoelectric and mechanical energy conversion systems, proposing that their tunable electronic properties enable high electromechanical coupling for nanogenerators. It does not contain microplastics research.

2025 Preprints.org 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Theoretical Framework for Hybrid TENG Pollutant Collection System: Solving the Euro 7 Microplastics Challenge

Scientists have designed a theoretical air and water cleaning system that could capture tiny plastic particles from car tires and other pollution sources that we breathe and drink. The system would use electricity generated from friction (like rubbing a balloon on your hair) to pull these harmful microplastics out of the air on clear days and out of rainwater on rainy days. This matters because microplastics are increasingly found in our bodies and may cause health problems, so having better ways to remove them from our environment could help protect our health.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Detection of Microplastics Based on a Liquid–Solid Triboelectric Nanogenerator and a Deep Learning Method

Scientists developed a new microplastic detection device based on a liquid-solid friction generator combined with deep learning AI to identify different types of plastic particles. The system can classify microplastics by material type with high accuracy using electrical signals generated when plastic particles contact a liquid surface. This technology could make it easier and cheaper to monitor microplastic contamination in water supplies.

2023 ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Theoretical Framework for Hybrid TENG Pollutant Collection System: Solving the Euro 7 Microplastics Challenge

Scientists have designed a theoretical system that could capture tiny plastic particles from car tires and other sources before they pollute our air and water. The device would work like a self-powered vacuum, using energy from wind or rain to create electric fields that trap these harmful microplastics. This matters because these tiny plastic particles can get into our lungs and drinking water, potentially causing health problems.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Design of clean energy based microplastic collection device

Researchers developed a clean energy-powered microplastic collection device designed to capture plastic particles smaller than 5 mm from aquatic environments, leveraging the chemical stability and persistence of microplastics as a design challenge.

2024 Journal of Physics Conference Series
Article Tier 2

Roadmap to sustainable plastic waste management: a focused study on recycling PET for triboelectric nanogenerator production in Singapore and India

Researchers compared plastic waste recycling systems in Singapore and India to evaluate the potential for turning recycled PET plastic bottles into energy-harvesting devices, finding that each recycling cycle causes a roughly 30% drop in material performance and 65% loss in economic value, underscoring the need for stronger recycling infrastructure.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 33 citations
Article Tier 2

High Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerators from Compostable Cellulose‐Biodegradable Poly(Butylene Succinate) Composites

This paper is not directly about microplastics; it develops biodegradable triboelectric nanogenerators from poly(butylene succinate) and cellulose composites as a plastic-free alternative to conventional devices that end up in landfills, addressing the broader problem of polymer waste but not microplastic contamination specifically.

2023 Advanced Sustainable Systems 11 citations
Article Tier 2

A mini review of recent advances in environmentally friendly microplastic removal technologies in water systems

This review evaluates emerging low-energy approaches for removing microplastics from water, concluding that microalgae-based flocculation and triboelectricity-driven electrophoresis are the most promising environmentally friendly methods currently available. Applying these technologies as close as possible to contamination sources — such as inside wastewater treatment plants — minimizes energy use and prevents secondary pollution. The authors also stress that reducing plastic consumption remains the single most effective long-term strategy.

2024 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Lignin-Based Nanofibrous Membranes for Microplastic Adsorption and Closed-Loop Utilization with Triboelectric Functionalization

Researchers developed nanofibrous membranes made from lignin—a wood-derived byproduct—and demonstrated their ability to adsorb microplastics from water, then repurposed the used membranes as triboelectric nanogenerators for energy harvesting. The closed-loop system converted adsorbed-microplastic membranes into functional energy devices, offering a dual-purpose approach that addresses both plastic waste removal and sustainable energy generation.

2025 ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
Article Tier 2

Toward Continuous Nano-Plastic Monitoring in Water by High Frequency Impedance Measurement With Nano-Electrode Arrays

Researchers explored high-frequency impedance measurements using CMOS nano-electrode arrays as a potential tool for real-time, label-free monitoring of nanoplastic particles in water, demonstrating nano-scale detection capability with potential for continuous environmental monitoring.

2023 IEEE Sensors Journal 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Design and Control of the Micromotor Swarm Toward Smart Applications

This review covers recent advances in the design and control of micro- and nanomotor swarms, examining how different energy sources and cooperative behaviors enable collective motion for smart applications. Researchers discuss how micromotors mimicking natural microorganism swarms could be applied to environmental remediation including microplastic removal.

2021 Advanced Intelligent Systems 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Creation of a Novel Piezoelectric Nanogenerator for Sensory Receptor Damage Treatments

Researchers developed a piezoelectric nanogenerator device designed to treat sensory receptor damage, such as hearing loss and burns, by generating electrical stimulation from body movement. The study is a biomedical engineering innovation not related to microplastics.

2023 Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering
Article Tier 2

Nanoteknolojinin Tıp ve Mühendislik Uygulamaları

This review covers nanotechnology applications in medicine and engineering, summarizing advancements in nanomaterial development and their utilization across biomedical and engineering domains.

2024