Erfan Karimmirza, Negin Manavizadeh
• Silver–ethanol–silicone composite TENG achieved 10.08 mW power output. • Alcoholic solvents enhanced nanoparticle dispersion and triboelectric performance. • Ag-based TENG maintained 93.5 % stability over 30,000 cycles. • Single-electrode design enables integration into skin-contact biomedical systems. • Solvent–nanoparticle synergy significantly boosts energy harvesting efficiency. Advances in wearable biomedical technologies require the development of flexible, efficient, and biocompatible energy-harvesting devices that can power therapeutic stimulation independently. Here, a high-performance, single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is presented, engineered from silicone composites reinforced with metallic nanoparticles (Ag and Cu), and systematically optimized using various solvent systems to improve triboelectric efficiency and device performance. Quantitative analysis showed that incorporating 0.5 wt% silver nanoparticles dispersed in ethanol achieved a peak open-circuit voltage of 710 V, a short-circuit current of 35 µA, and a maximum power output of 10.08 mW at an external load of 30 MΩ, corresponding to a normalized power density of 356 µW·cm⁻². Results across seven solvent types indicated that alcohol-based systems (ethanol, methanol) outperformed others in nanoparticle dispersion and electrical performance. At the same time, citric acid and dimethylformamide (DMF) produced lower performance due to nanoparticle aggregation and slower curing. Long-term cyclic testing over 30,000 mechanical actuations confirmed the device’s mechanical durability and electrical stability, maintaining over 93.5 % of its original output. These findings highlight the important relationship between nanoparticle type, solvent environment, and composite structure in influencing TENG efficiency, and position the proposed Ag–ethanol–silicone system as a promising candidate for self-powered biomedical devices and wearable electronics.