Improved energy harvesting ability of C3H7NH3PbI3 decorated PVDF nanofiber based flexible nanogenerator

Abstract

Propylammonium lead iodide, C3H7NH3PbI3, was synthesized by sol-gel method and incorporated in polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) to produce nanofibers by electrospinning technique. These nanofibers possess an improved degree of crystallinity with the successful conversion of non-polar phase to polar phase content. The tensile strength and thermal stability of nanofibers are also enhanced significantly with the addition of C3H7NH3PbI3. The fabricated lightweight, flexible, durable, cost-effective, self-powered piezoelectric nanogenerator is observed to generate 60 V open circuit voltage, 27.5 μA short circuit current, and 9.81 mW/m2 power under periodic hammering with a free hand. Voltage generation of this nanogenerator scavenging mechanical energy from various sources is also detected. This device exhibits remarkable mechano-sensitivity (∼ 6.3 V/N in the low applied force region and 12.12 V/N in the higher applied force region) with superior energy conversion efficiency ∼ 42.03 %. The flexibility along with ultra-sensitivity of this power generator initiates its utility as wearable nano sensors. Moreover, the ultrafast capacitor charging ability of the nanogenerator assures its potential as a nano-tactile sensor. The optimal energy band gap and photoactive nature of the C3H7NH3PbI3@PVDF composite confirm its efficacy as a photodetector/diode. Therefore, the proposed C3H7NH3PbI3@PVDF composite enables to design a multifaceted device that can perform separately/simultaneously as mechanical energy and solar energy harvester.