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Abstract The human metabolome provides a window into the mechanisms and biomarkers of various diseases. However, because of limited availability, many sample types are still difficult to study by metabolomic analyses. Here, we present a mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics strategy that only consumes sub-nanoliter sample volumes. The approach consists of combining a customized metabolomics workflow with a pulsed MS ion generation method, known as triboelectric nanogenerator inductive nanoelectrospray ionization (TENGi nanoESI) MS. Samples tested with this approach include exhaled breath condensate collected from cystic fibrosis patients as well as in vitro - cultured human mesenchymal stromal cells. Both test samples are only available in minimum amounts. Experiments show that picoliter-volume spray pulses suffice to generate high-quality spectral fingerprints, which increase the information density produced per unit sample volume. This TENGi nanoESI strategy has the potential to fill in the gap in metabolomics where liquid chromatography-MS-based analyses cannot be applied. Our method opens up avenues for future investigations into understanding metabolic changes caused by diseases or external stimuli. 

Abstract Electrohydrodynamic jet (e‐jet) printing is a high‐resolution printed electronics technique that uses an electric field to generate droplets. It has great application potential with the rapid development of flexible and wearable electronics. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG), which can convert mechanical motions into electricity, have found many high‐voltage applications with unique merits of portability, controllability, safety, and cost‐effectiveness. In this work, the application of a TENG is extended to printed electronics by employing it to drive e‐jet printing. A rotary freestanding TENG is applied as the high‐voltage power source for generating stable ink droplet ejection. The TENG‐driven droplet generation and ejection process and printed features with varied operation parameters are investigated. Results reveal that the jetting frequency could be controlled by the TENG's operation frequency, and high‐resolution printing with feature size smaller than nozzle size is achieved using the setup. Notably, TENG as the power source for e‐jet printing supplies a limited amount of current, which leads to better safety for both equipment and personnel compared to conventional high‐voltage power supplies. With the superiority of TENG in the sense of safety and cost, the work presents a promising solution for the next‐generation of high‐resolution printed electronics and broadens the scope of TENG application.