Electrical power generator from electrospun hybrid PVDF-BaTiO₃ nanofiber membranes

Abstract

To enhance the piezoelectric performance of piezoelectric polymer thin films in general, hybrid polyvinylidene difluoride(PVDF)and nanosized barium titanate(BaTiO₃)piezoelectric films were prepared and their piezoelectric performance examined. The hybrid nanofibers were fabricated via electrospinning at an external voltage of 15 kV. The nonwoven fabrics were collected using a roller collection device, and their morphological structures were analyzed via scanning electron microscopy. The crystal structures of these piezoelectric films were characterized via micro-Raman spectroscopy. β-phase of the composite nanofiber membrane almost increased to twice owing to the addition of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles. Compared with pure, electrospun PVDF piezoelectric film, the piezoelectric characteristics of the hybrid piezoelectric films were considerably enhanced because of the additional BaTiO₃ nanoparticles. The maximum instantaneous open-circuit voltage of the hybrid PVDF-BaTiO₃ nanofibers film can be high up to 80 V. The high-performance hybrid piezoelectric films exhibited notable prospects for applications in wearable electronic textiles.