May 7, 2026
Journal Article

Dielectric Engineering of ZnO@ ZIF-8 for High-Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerators and Self-Powered Humidity Sensors

Abstract

Porous metal oxide–metal-organic framework (MOx@MOF) hybrids offer synergistic effects that enhance surface charge density, electronic structure, and textural properties, making them ideal for self-powered sensing applications. Here, uniform, and pinhole-free ternary porous ZnO–PTFE@ZIF-8 hybrid films are developed on room-temperature co-sputtered ZnO–polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composite films, where ZnO serves as a self-sacrificial precursor to precisely regulate ZIF-8 (Zn-MeIm2) growth through solvothermal methods. The resulting TENG achieves a high output power density of 0.67 mW cm-2, attributed to the synergistic effects of fluorine-rich PTFE and methyl-functionalized ZIF-8, which enhance surface charge density and dielectric response. By tuning PTFE content in the ZnO–PTFE composite, the dielectric constant and triboelectric output is optimized

Published: May 7, 2026

Citation

Ippili S., V. Jella, S. Peram, P. Thallapally, R. Zboril, J. Kolleboyina, and S. Yoon. 2026. Dielectric Engineering of ZnO@ ZIF-8 for High-Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerators and Self-Powered Humidity Sensors. Small Methods 10, no. 5:e00746. PNNL-SA-217372. doi:10.1002/smtd.202500746

Research topics