Enhanced output of ZnO nanosheet-based piezoelectric nanogenerator with a novel device structure

Abstract

We report a double-fold enhancement of piezoelectric nanogenerator output voltage with a simple design strategy. The piezoelectric nanogenerator is fabricated with ZnO nanosheets coated on both sides of the aluminum substrate in this new design strategy with necessary electrodes. The cost-effective hydrothermal method is employed to synthesize two-dimensional (2D) ZnO nanosheets on both sides of the aluminum substrate at a low growth temperature of 80 °C for 4 h. The ZnO nanosheets were characterized for their morphology, crystallinity, and photoluminescence property. The performance of nanogenerator fabricated with double-side coated aluminum substrate was compared to single-side coated aluminum substrate. The nanogenerators fabricated only with one side coating produced an output voltage of ∼170 mV. In contrast, the nanogenerators fabricated with double side coating produced an output voltage of ∼285 mV. The nanogenerator with double-side coating produced ∼1.7 times larger output voltage than that of single-side coated one. The enhancement in the output voltage is mainly due to ZnO nanosheet deformation along both sides and the electric field-induced synergetic effect between two front and back sides of piezoelectric nanogenerators. This nanogenerator fabrication technology has the potential to be scaled up for industrial production of piezoelectric energy collecting devices because of its simplicity and high output gain.

Piezoelectric performance improvement via macromolecular rearrangement

“…Figure S8 shows the change in output voltage when loaded with different resistances at a stress of 0.12 MPa. We find that the output voltage increases with the resistance and saturates at 1.78 V that is close to the V OC (figure 4(b), 1.89 V) [40,41]. The instantaneous power of our PENG reaches 803 nW at a load of 2 MΩ (figure S7).…”

Lightweight, Self-Poled, Flexible Piezoelectric Tungsten Disulfide Quantum Dots-Reinforced PVDF-HFP-Based Nanogenerator

“…67 Mishra et al have fabricated a ZnO nanosheet-based piezoelectric nanogenerator in aqueous solution using a hydrothermal approach, with a reported output voltage of 285 mV. 68 Our team have also reported the zinc silicate-graphene-based transparent flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator with an output voltage of 5.5 V and current density of 0.5 μA/cm 2 . 61 A graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4)-based piezoelectric nanogenerator was reported by R.-C Wang et al; they showed that the device exhibited an output voltage and a current density of up to 1672 mV and 141 nA/cm 2 , respectively.…”

“…Wu et al have fabricated a nanogenerator cellulose nanofibril/MoS2 nanosheet by the aqueous dispersion approach, which generated an output voltage of 4.1 V and a current of 0.21 μA . Mishra et al have fabricated a ZnO nanosheet-based piezoelectric nanogenerator in aqueous solution using a hydrothermal approach, with a reported output voltage of 285 mV . Our team have also reported the zinc silicate-graphene-based transparent flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator with an output voltage of 5.5 V and current density of 0.5 μA/cm 2 .…”

Unusual nanoscale piezoelectricity-driven high current generation from a self S-defect-neutralised few-layered MoS2 nanosheet-based flexible nanogenerator

“…73 Moreover, 2D zinc oxide nanosheet-based piezoelectric nanogenerators were also fabricated and output voltages of 285 mV and 895 mV were reported. 74,75 Recently, Xu et al fabricated a nanocomposite based on a piezoelectric BaTiO 3 /MoS 2 cellulose-based nanogenerator and an output voltage of 8.2 V and current of 0.48 µA were reported. 76 A lead-free LiNbO 3 nanowire (d 33 of 25 pm V −1 )-based nanocomposite nanogenerator was reported with an output voltage of 0.6 V and current of 8 nA.…”