Fabrication and applications of cellulose-based nanogenerators

Nanogenerators, as emerging energy generation devices, can effectively collect and utilize tiny energy in the environment. Recently, the development of cellulose based functional materials for nanogenerators has become a competing research topic. However, there are limited review literatures on cellulose-based nanogenerators. This paper presents a detailed classification of triboelectric nanogenerators and piezoelectric nanogenerators, and the latest research progress of cellulose-based nanogenerators (including nanocellulose, cellulose derivatives, and cellulose-based composites). Strategies and principles of improving the output performance of cellulose-based nanogenerators are further summarized. Studies have demonstrated that using cellulose instead of traditional petroleum-based polymers as the substrate material of nanogenerators can effectively solve the environmental pollution problem caused by the non-biodegradability of conventional polymers. Finally, the current challenges and future development directions of cellulose-based nanogenerators are proposed.Graphical abstract Recent strategies and advances in the fabrication of cellulose-based nanogenerators and their applications were comprehensively reviewed.