Lead-free and flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator based on CaBi4Ti4O15 Aurivillius oxides/PDMS composites for efficient biomechanical energy harvesting

The development of a new class of perovskite materials and enhancing its capability as an energy harvester that scavenges energy from various sources to power electronics systems has attracted significant attention. Herein, we report a cost-effective approach to synthesize a perovskite material, explore its properties, and further develop a high-performance flexible nanogenerator based on hybrid piezoelectric composite. The Aurivillius-based oxide, CaBi4Ti4O15 (CBTO) was fabricated via a mixed oxide reaction and crystallized in an orthorhombic symmetry at room temperature. The material properties were elucidated to act as a parallel plate capacitor that will further act as a base for the development of filter circuits. Aurivillus/PDMS composite films were used to fabricate a flexible Aurivillus-based piezoelectric nanogenerator (A-PENG) to act as a self-powered exercise counter and power the electronics. The A-PENG was systematically analyzed under different conditions such as weight percentage, before and after poling, and acceleration effects. In addition, device stability, and capacitor charging-discharging tests were performed. This study elucidated the formation of lead-free ceramic materials that were used to make a flexible composite film for the realization of a piezoelectric harvester acting as a sustainable energy source.

Automated summary

The development of a new class of perovskite materials and enhancing its capability as an energy harvester that scavenges energy from various sources to power electronics systems has attracted significant attention. The study focused on synthesizing a cost-effective perovskite material, exploring its properties, and developing a high-performance flexible nanogenerator based on a hybrid piezoelectric composite. The results showed promise in using lead-free ceramic materials to create a flexible composite film for sustainable energy harvesting.