Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 Doped Intermediate Layer Strategy Enhances the Performance of Self-Powered Fibrous Triboelectric Sensors for Multi-Scenario Sensing and Barrier-Free Communication

Flexible triboelectric sensor (TES) provides an innovative solution for the energy challenges faced by wearable electronics. However, the generated charge easily escapes to the atmosphere or the inner electrode layer of TES, resulting in charge loss and decline of performance. In this study, based on the intermediate layer strategy, the fibrous TES (FTES) with a three-layer coaxial structure (inner electrode layer/Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8)-doped intermediate layer/outer friction layer) is constructed by the wet-spinning followed with casting technology. The optimized styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer (SIS)-Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs)-acetylene black (AB)/SIS-ZIF-8/Ecoflex FTES (SZE-FTES) exhibits a high elongation at break of 552%, a sensitivity of 15.68 V N⁻¹ within the low-pressure detection range of 0.05–0.25 N (1.7 times greater than that of FTES without an intermediate layer) and a rapid response time of 107 ms. The SZE-FTES can effectively monitor various human motions. By using the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network to conduct deep learning, the FTES can accurately identify 9 different materials, with an accuracy rate as high as 99.4%. In addition, by encoding Morse code using SZE-FTES, a barrier-free communication system is successfully established. The as-prepared FTES provides an interdisciplinary research paradigm for wearable electronics, biomedical sensing, and barrier-free communication technology.