Nanowire piezoelectric nanogenerators on plastic substrates as flexible power sources for nanodevices

Nanowire arrays of piezoelectric and semiconductive ZnO grown on flexible plastic substrates have been successfully demonstrated for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy using a conductive atomic force microscope (see figure). Piezoelectric power generators using such arrays might be able to harvest energy from their environment, providing flexible power sources with potential applications in implantable biosensors, self-powered electronic devices, and more.