Programming Bifunctional Metal–Organic Frameworks to Integrate Multiple Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Green Electronics toward Effective Self-Powered Photocatalytic System

Programming and synthesizing bifunctional materials for
regulating
the output of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) and their photocatalytic
efficiency is a promising strategy for energy harvesting to build
self-powered systems. Herein, we tackle this challenge by introducing
metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as molecular catalysts and
triboelectric layers for self-powered photocatalytic systems. A zeolite-like
mixed-valence MOF (CuICuII-1) and a ladder-structured
MOF (CuII-2) were
obtained through structural transformation. Due to the excellent charge-trapping
capability and surface potential of CuICuII-1, the
outputs of CuICuII-1-TENG (a short-circuit current
(Isc) of 30.4 μA and an open-circuit
voltage (Voc) of 524.1 V) were significantly
superior to those of CuII-2-TENG. The incorporation of CuICuII-1 with
ethylcellulose (EC) to form CuICuII-1@EC composite
films greatly improved the TENG outputs, and the 10% CuICuII-1@EC-TENG offered the maximum Isc (57.2 μA) and Voc (986.8
V). Furthermore, multiple 10% CuICuII-1@EC-TENG devices
were integrated in parallel to assemble multiple TENG devices (M-TENG) to harvest biomechanical energy, which displayed significant
potential to continuously power blue LEDs, generating blue-light irradiation
to trigger the photocatalytic C(sp)–H/Si–H cross-coupling
reactions of aromatic alkyne and trimethylsilane for alkynylsilane
over the photocatalysts CuICuII-1 and CuII-2. The results revealed that CuICuII-1 achieved a cooperative effect on remarkable
catalytic selectivity and activity. This work demonstrates that bifunctional
MOFs can serve as friction electrode materials for the large-scale
integration and assembly of MOF-based TENG, and photocatalysts for
achieving self-powered photocatalytic systems.