3D-Printed Flexible PVDF-TrFE Composites with Aligned BCZT Nanowires and Interdigital Electrodes for Piezoelectric Nanogenerator Applications

Piezoelectric nanogenerators based on piezoelectric nanocompositeshave attracted much interest in recent decades owing to their excellentpiezoelectric properties and application in self-powered systems andwearable sensors. As a promising piezoelectric ceramic filler in composite-basedgenerators, one-dimensional (1D) piezoelectric nanowires were filledinto a polymer matrix to enhance its dielectric and piezoelectricproperties. In this paper, flexible PVDF-TrFE composite films containinghighly aligned Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.9Zr0.1O3 (BCZT) nanowires (NWs) have been manufacturedvia a direct-ink writing method. The effect of BCZT NW content onthe dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties was investigatedusing multiphysics modeling and detailed experiments. An optimum compositecomposition was discovered, and the piezoelectric composite film with15 wt % BCZT NWs possessed the highest energy harvesting figure ofmerit of 5.3 x 10(-12) m(2)/N. Interdigitalelectrodes were combined with the composite to fabricate a patternedpiezoelectric nanogenerator, where the piezoelectric nanogeneratorcan produce an open-circuit output voltage of 17 V, and the maximumoutput power density could reach 5.6 mu W/cm(2). Thiswork provides opportunities for the optimization and fabrication ofpiezoelectric materials for energy-harvesting and sensing applications.

Automated summary

This study investigates the effect of BCZT NW content on the dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of flexible PVDF-TrFE composite films. It was found that the composite film with 15 wt % BCZT NWs exhibited the highest energy harvesting figure of merit of 5.3 x 10(-12) m(2)/N. A patterned piezoelectric nanogenerator was fabricated using interdigitalelectrodes combined with the composite, which could produce an open-circuit output voltage of 17 V and a maximum output power density of 5.6 mu W/cm(2). This research provides opportunities for optimizing and fabricating piezoelectric materials for energy-harvesting and sensing applications.