An effective flexible wireless energy harvester/sensor based on porous electret piezoelectric polymer

A flexible sponge-like nanogenerator (FSNG) based on ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) etched porous electret poly (vinylidene fluoride hexafluoropropylene) (P(VDF-HFP)) film is spotlighted without any electrical poling treatment. It possesses improved dielectric and ferroelectric properties than neat P(VDF-HFP) film. The FSNG harvests an open-circuit voltage (V-oc) of 9 V and short circuit current (I-sc) of 1.3 mu Acm(-2) under repeated mechanical impact of 036 MPa stress amplitude on the top surface. With the power density (P) of 1.21 mW/cm(2) and energy conversion efficiency of 0.3% it directly operates several consumer-electronics. The highly sensitive (similar to 1 mu VPa-1) FSNG is demonstrated as a self-powered wireless sensor with 3.0% efficiency for detecting some tiny human activities including finger movements. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.