---
title: "3D printed hygroscopic resin uses humidity as an asset in triboelectric nanogenerators"
url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/3d-printed-hygroscopic-resin-uses-humidity-as-an-asset-in-triboelectric-nanogenerators/
date: 2026-04-20
modified: 2026-04-20
lang: en
author: "Joseph Caron-Dawe"
description: "A new study has outlined how a photocurable resin, shaped by liquid crystal display (LCD) 3D printing, can produce an output that rises rather than falls as humidity increases. Triboelectric..."
categories:
  - "3D Printing Processes"
  - "Advanced Polymers"
  - "AM Research"
  - "Bioprinting"
  - "Medical Research"
tags:
  - "future"
image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/TENG-polymer-02-640x400.jpg
word_count: 439
---

# 3D printed hygroscopic resin uses humidity as an asset in triboelectric nanogenerators

A new study has outlined how a [photocurable resin](https://www.voxelmatters.com/zhejiang-university-pioneers-light-triggered-resin-recycling/), shaped by [liquid crystal display (LCD) 3D printing](https://www.voxelmatters.com/oppo-find-n6-uses-3d-liquid-printing-to-eliminate-foldable-display-crease/), can produce an output that rises rather than falls as humidity increases.

[Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/atu-researchers-3d-print-wearable-energy-harvesting-tech/) are devices that convert mechanical motion into electricity when two dissimilar materials make and break contact, and they have long struggled in humid environments. Once relative humidity exceeds 60-70%, adsorbed water films drain accumulated surface charge before it can power an external circuit. 

That threshold is routinely crossed by human skin, body cavities, and tropical climates, which limits TENG viability for wearable and implantable medical electronics.

The photocurable resin developed as part of the study was engineered to trap water molecules through a dense arrangement of polar chemical groups, as opposed to repelling water or sealing devices against moisture ingress. This made bound water a contributor to charge generation.

## Material design and performance

The research team compared three acrylic monomer networks crosslinked with polyethylene glycol diacrylate, each decorated with carboxyl, hydroxyl, or amide groups. The amide-bearing formulation produced the strongest humidity response. 

![3D printed hygroscopic resin uses humidity as an asset in triboelectric nanogenerators](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/TENG-polymer-01-340x213.jpg)Schematic of LCD printing and photoinitiated polymerization

The team then incorporated sulfobetaine methacrylate, a zwitterionic monomer carrying both a permanent positive ammonium charge and a permanent negative sulfonate charge within the same molecule. At a 5 wt% loading, the material reached 45.6 microamperes, 802 volts, and a peak power density of 48.4 watts per square meter at 90 percent relative humidity — approximately double the power density of a previously reported moisture-tolerant TENG using lithium chloride and MXene in polyvinyl alcohol, while requiring no inorganic fillers.

Increasing zwitterionic content to 10 percent reversed the gains, as ionic clustering raised conductivity and dielectric loss, allowing charge to escape the film prematurely.

## From laboratory to implantable application

Using the optimized resin, the team printed lattice structures, twisted hexagonal networks, and wearable forms, including a finger sleeve that transmitted Morse code through tap patterns and an insole that distinguished walking from running. Features as small as 80 micrometers were resolved cleanly.

The most involved demonstration coupled the generator to a wireless power transfer system intended to simulate charging implanted electronics through human tissue. A rectifier converted alternating current and stored energy in capacitors, which powered a backscatter communication reader transmitting through pig skin to a semi-passive radio-frequency tag. The tag harvested 11 to 17 milliwatts; the pig skin attenuated the signal by 36 to 59% without disabling the link. 

The work, [published in *Advanced Functional Materials*](https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.75354), paves the way for a fully printable, humidity-boosted triboelectric material as a candidate platform for self-powered implantable devices – ones that patients could recharge through ordinary body motion.