This study presents a MXene-reinforced self-healing piezoelectric nanogenerator (mSHP-PENG) for mechanical pressure sensing in both air and underwater environments. By integrating MXene nanosheets into a water-insensitive self-healing polymer, the device achieves enhanced mechanical strength, dielectric properties, and piezoelectric performance. The nanogenerator delivers up to 30 V and 4.2 μA output, exhibits excellent durability over 1500 cycles, and maintains functionality after underwater self-healing. Its high sensitivity and flexibility make it suitable for wearable electronics, energy harvesting, and aquatic sensing applications.

Fig. Graphical Abstract.

Technology Overview
The technology combines MXene nanosheets with a self-healing PDMS-based elastomer to create a flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator. MXene enhances charge polarization, dielectric constant, and mechanical robustness, enabling efficient energy harvesting and pressure sensing in both ambient and underwater conditions.

Applications & Benefits
The device can be used in wearable health monitoring, electronic skin, underwater pressure sensing, and self-powered electronics. Key benefits include autonomous self-healing, water resistance, high sensitivity, long-term durability, and sustainable energy generation for portable devices.

Abstract：
Green renewable technologies have become a focus of energy research due to the adverse impacts of fossil fuels, greenhouse gases, climate change, global warming, and battery short life. A new generation of biomaterials with spontaneous piezoelectric properties is highly emerging for generating electricity from ubiquitous mechanical energy. Recent years, there has been a concerted effort to engineer robust 1D functional materials for nanogenerators, leveraging cellulose as the foundational material. This research work produced nanofiber composite of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and MXene (Ti3C2) nanosheets incorporated into cellulose acetate (CA) polymer through electrospinning process forms the basis for ecofriendly highly durable smart textile fabrication. Formation of MXene nanosheets heterostructures significantly promoted the low conversion efficiency of conventional ZnO to highest output voltage of ⁓35 V, and a short circuit current of ⁓3.34 µA. Synergistic contribution of the piezo-enhanced photocatalytic activity of MXene/ZnO hetero-structured smart nanofibers offers greater environmental remediation of water resources from the contamination of methyl orange (MO) dye with a rate constant (k) of 66.14×10−3 min−1. In addition, intelligent dual mechanistic membranes support sustainable operations (20000 cycles) with strong morphological and performance retention (⁓92 %), showing good chemical and mechanical stability even under harsh operating conditions.

MXene-reinforced water insensitive self-healing piezoelectric nanogenerator for ambient and aquatic mechano-pressure sensing
Author：Sun Ting-Wang, Venkatesan Manikandan, Hsu Yung-Chi, Chandrasekar Jayashree, Chen Wei-Cheng, Bénas Jean-Sébastien, Cho Chia-Jung, Lin Ja-Hon, Liang Fang-Cheng, Rwei Alina Y., Kuo Chi-Ching
Year：2025
Source publication： Nano Energy, Volume 133, January 2025, 110416
Subfield Highest percentage： 99%  Electrical and Electronic Engineering  #9 / 1030

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211285524011686