Aromatic Amine-Functionalized graphene oxide enables Proximity-Sensitive triboelectric sensors for intelligent motion tracking and LIB charging

The rising demand for intelligent health monitoring and smart environments has driven the development of non-contact sensors capable of accurately detecting human motion without physical interaction. Here, we present a high-performance triboelectric sensor (TES) based on a 2,6-diaminopyridine-functionalized graphene oxide (DAP-GO)/silk composite paired with an electrospun PVDF-HFP/3 wt% MXene (PH3M) counter layer. Among the composites, 1.5 wt% DAP-GO (1.5SDAPG) exhibits synergistic improvements in tribopolarity and charge trapping, yielding an ~ 8-fold enhancement in open-circuit voltage compared to pristine silk. The optimized 1.5SDAPG/PH3M-TENG achieves a mechanical-to-electrical conversion efficiency of 0.18%, powers a digital stopwatch continuously for over 30 min, and demonstrates the capability to directly recharge a lithium-ion coin cell battery. Beyond energy harvesting, the device enables contactless detection of human activities (such as walking, running, and falling) through proximity-induced electrostatic field disturbances. It further supports spatially resolved motion tracking by localizing touch events at varying distances. This multifunctional platform integrates sustainable energy harvesting with advanced sensing, offering a promising pathway for remote elderly monitoring, fall detection, and smart surveillance. Collectively, the 1.5SDAPG/PH3M-TES establishes a foundation for IoT-enabled, self-powered, contactless human–machine interfaces and next-generation intelligent living systems.