Enhanced Piezoelectric Performance of Electrospun PVDF-MWCNT-Cu Nanocomposites for Energy Harvesting Application

Abstract

Piezoelectric principle is one of the popular choices when it comes to mechanical energy recovery and conversion of energy into electrical energy which can be either stored or used straightaway. In general, ceramic-based piezoelectric materials like Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) had been the popular choice for piezoelectric devices even though they are brittle in nature and found to be toxic in long uses. At the same time, organic-based Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) and similar polymeric materials have been used in different applications with an offer of flexibility, lightweight and biocompatibility. One major factor dragging down the usage of organic materials in piezoelectric applications is their poor piezoelectric responses. In this work, authors are reporting the enhanced piezoelectric properties of nanofibers of PVDF in composite with copper nanoparticles and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs). Fourier Transformation Infrared (FTIR) analysis has been carried out for nanofibers and was able to prove the higher beta phase conversion of PVDF in composite nanofibers when compared with pristine nanofibers. Composite nanofibers were later fabricated into a piezoelectric device with two electrodes and have shown a peak voltage of 6.78 V upon a drop test. As a proof of concept, the mentioned piezoelectric device was integrated into a shoe-based prototype where it has shown 18–20[Formula: see text]V energy harvesting upon walking at leisurely pace.

Electrospun PVDF-based piezoelectric nanofibers: materials, structures, and applications

“…[33][34][35] Recently, researchers further improved the piezoelectric properties of PVDF by incorporating specic concentrations of single or double llers, such as piezoelectric ceramics and conductive particles, into the PVDF matrix to obtain composite nanober lms. [36][37][38][39][40][41][42] It's worth noting that too large ller size will signicantly increase the solution viscosity, which is not conducive to jet draing in the electric eld.…”

Electrospun Donor/Acceptor Nanofibers for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

“…Electrospinning is a reliable method for constructing one-dimensional nanomaterials benefiting from the advantages of adjustable nanoscale size, controllable composition and morphology, persistent process, high specific surface area, good mechanical flexibility/strength, simple processes, and low production costs for large-scale applications [37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44]. These merits endow electrospun nanofibers with great potential for applications in the conversion of solar energy to restorable chemical energy.…”

Fabrication of Pressure Sensor Using Electrospinning Method for Robotic Tactile Sensing Application

“…With the development of materials science and versatile fabrication techniques, two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) resilient nanostructures have been synthesized sophisticatedly and are receiving greater attention among researchers [ 14 ]. In this direction, electrospinning fabrication methods as shown in Figure 1 c, have received significant consideration to produce polymer-based one-dimensional functional nanofibers, as shown in Figure 1 d [ 15 , 16 ].…”