Enhanced Self-Powered Wound-Healing Performance Mediated by Wearable Perfluorinated Polysuccinimide Nanocomposites with Tunable Triboelectric Properties

Abstract

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have emerged as powerful tools in wearable electronics, allowing us to harness electricity generated from biomechanical forces using a miniaturized, biocompatible platform. A variety of commercially available polymers with different dielectric properties are typically used for TENGs; however, it is still a significant challenge to precisely and systematically control the degree of triboelectric properties. Herein, a polysuccinimide (PSI) with a controlled degree of perfluorination ("PF-PSI") is developed and implemented for TENG applications. Since PSI consists of a series of succinimidyl ring moieties capable of nucleophilic ring-opening reactions with amine-based molecules under ambient conditions, PF-PSI can be conveniently synthesized by direct conjugation with perfluoroalkylamines. The triboelectric properties of PF-PSI can be fine-tuned over a wide range by controlling the degree of perfluorination via the feed molar ratio and type of perfluoroalkyl amine, with a triboelectric potential of 9-50 V and power density of 0.06-55 mu W cm-2. A nanocomposite film infused with PF-PSI nanofibers, demonstrating enhanced mechanical properties, is developed and explored as a TENG to provide electrical stimulation (ES) to induce tissue regeneration. Up to 85% wound closure is achieved in 9 days with ES from the PF-PSI TENG, effectively demonstrating its therapeutic potential.