What makes this adhesive film generate electricity?

A team at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) has developed a transparent adhesive film that generates electricity through simple peeling or pressing. The breakthrough could pave the way for battery-free sensors in everyday life.

The innovation relies on triboelectric nanogenerator technology, which uses frictional energy produced when two surfaces touch and separate. By embedding this function into a flexible adhesive layer, the researchers created a device that harvests routine motion to generate useful electrical signals.

How the film creates power

The adhesive incorporates nonlinear cut patterns that shape how cracks propagate when the film is peeled. These patterns both strengthen adhesion and maximize charge flow.

When peeling starts and then shifts direction at junction points, the process produces strong bursts of electricity.

UNIST’s team reported the new design generates 35 times stronger adhesion and 13 times more output energy than conventional films. The cut pattern itself resembles the Korean letter 'ㄷ.'

Did you know?
The Korean alphabet 'ㄷ' shape inspired the unique cut pattern that multiplied both adhesion and electrical output of the UNIST film.

Tunable electrical responses

The film’s design allows developers to adjust output depending on where or how peeling occurs. By changing the angle and direction of cuts, the signals can be programmed to respond only when triggered in specific ways.

This adds a smart dimension: the material can act as both a sensor and a selective switch without needing external power or complex electronics.

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Potential applications

Demonstrations showed striking utility. One film attached to a door turned every opening into an electric signal capable of activating security alarms.

Another used on a picture frame signaled before the frame detached, sending alerts to connected devices.

In industrial trials, applying the film to conveyor belts allowed machines to send signals only during abnormal reverse rotations.

This kind of predictive sensing could help prevent costly breakdowns and boost workplace safety.

Beyond the laboratory

Professor Hoon Eui Jeong of UNIST emphasized that transforming adhesive films into self-generating sensors could impact sectors from wearable technology to smart buildings.

By combining adhesion control with electricity generation, the material opens new pathways for integrating safety and monitoring functions seamlessly into surfaces.

As the search for alternatives to disposable batteries grows, sticky surfaces that create their own power may offer an elegant solution.

This research signals a future where everyday motion becomes a source of electricity for silent, smart, and sustainable sensing.