Porous, multi-layered piezoelectric composites based on highly oriented PZT/PVDF electrospinning fibers for high-performance piezoelectric nanogenerators

Abstract

Piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) that can harvest mechanical energy from ambient environment have broad prospects for multi-functional applications. Here, multi-layered piezoelectric composites with a porous structure based on highly oriented Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3/PVDF (PZT/PVDF) electrospinning fibers are prepared via a laminating method to construct high-performance PENGs. PZT particles as piezoelectric reinforcing phases are embedded in PVDF fibers and facilitate the formation of polar β phase in PVDF. The multi-layered, porous structure effectively promotes the overall polarization and surface bound charge density, resulting in a highly efficient electromechanical conversion. The PENG based on 10 wt% PZT/PVDF composite fibers with a 220 µm film thickness outputs an optimal voltage of 62.0 V and a power of 136.9 µW, which are 3.4 and 6.5 times those of 10 wt% PZT/PVDF casting film-based PENG, respectively. Importantly, the PENG shows a high sensitivity of 12.4 V·N−1, presenting a significant advantage in comparison to PENGs with other porous structures. In addition, the composites show excellent flexibility with a Young’s modulus of 227.2 MPa and an elongation of 262.3%. This study shows a great potential application of piezoelectric fiber composites in flexible energy harvesting devices.

The mechanism of a PVDF/CsPbBr3 perovskite composite fiber as a self-polarization piezoelectric nanogenerator with ultra-high output voltage

“…Besides, the built-in electrostatic eld between PVDF and CsPbBr 3 leads to a strong self-bias effect and non-symmetric hysteresis curves, suggesting a self-polarization effect of the composite. 41,42…”

Advanced Fiber Materials for Wearable Electronics

“…Many piezoelectric materials have been developed since the discovery of piezoelectricity that means stress-induced electricity and representative piezoelectric materials can be divided into piezoceramics and piezopolymers. Piezoceramics refer to piezoelectric class of inorganic materials, such as semiconducting zinc oxide (ZnO) [138], lead-based zirconate titanate (PZT) [139] and lead-free barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ) [140]. Piezoceramics are chemically inert, mechanically strong and immune to humidity, exhibiting high piezoelectric coefficient and electrochemical conversion efficiency [141].…”

Triboelectric Nanogenerator-Based Near-Field Electrospinning System for Optimizing PVDF Fibers with High Piezoelectric Performance

“…The thermodynamically stable nonpolar α phase is crystallized from PVDF melt, and the β phase must undergo processes such as annealing, stretching, or polarization to transform the predominantly α phase into β phase. − Electrospinning, as a relatively simple and powerful technique technology for the preparation of micro-/nanofibers, provides electric field force and tensile force, so that the α phase of PVDF fiber is polarized to the β phase without an additional polarization process . Therefore, electrospun PVDF fibers are widely used in actuators, sensors, battery separators, nanogenerators, and biomedical applications. − According to the distance classification between the spinneret and the collector, the distance of 5–50 cm is far-field electrospinning (FFES), and the distance of less than 1 cm is near-field electrospinning (NFES). In the FFES, high voltage (10–50 kV) is required for continuous electrospinning .…”