Piezoelectric-nanowire-enabled power source for driving wireless microelectronics

Harvesting energy from irregular/random mechanical actions in variable and uncontrollable environments is an effective approach for powering wireless mobile electronics to meet a wide range of applications in our daily life. Piezoelectric nanowires are robust and can be stimulated by tiny physical motions/disturbances over a range of frequencies. Here, we demonstrate the first chemical epitaxial growth of PbZrxTi1-xO3 (PZT) nanowire arrays at 230 degrees C and their application as high-output energy converters. The nanogenerators fabricated using a single array of PZT nanowires produce a peak output voltage of similar to 0.7 V, current density of 4 mu A cm(-2) and an average power density of 2.8 mW cm(-3). The alternating current output of the nanogenerator is rectified, and the harvested energy is stored and later used to light up a commercial laser diode. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using nanogenerators for powering mobile and even personal microelectronics.