Electrospun Poly L-Lactic Acid Nanofiber Webs Presenting Enhanced Piezoelectric Properties

Abstract

There has been extensive research on electrospun ferroelectric nanoparticle-doped poly L-lactic acid (PLA) nanofiber web piezoelectric devices. In this study, BaTiO3 nanoparticles (BTNPs) were incorporated into the PLA to enhance the piezoelectric properties. The composite nanofiber webs were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The piezoelectric behavior was analyzed by measuring the peak-to-peak output voltage (Vp-p) of the samples. The sensors fabricated from the PLA/BTNP nanofiber webs exhibited higher Vp-p values than the conventional electrospun PLA sensors. Furthermore, the corona-poled PLA/BTNP nanofiber web sensors exhibited even higher Vp-p values than the non-corona-poled sensors. Lastly, the effect of stacking nanofiber webs in terms of enhancing the sensor performance was also evaluated.