(Invited) Highly Transparent and Mechanically Robust Energy-Harvestable Piezocomposite with Embedded One-Dimensional P(VDF-TrFE) Nanofibers and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

Here, highly transparent, flexible, and ultrathin piezocomposite, in which electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] nanofibers (NFs) and aerosol-synthesized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are embedded in elastomer matrix, is fabricated. The P(VDF-TrFE) NF mat is exploited as a piezoelectric layer of the piezocomposite while the SWCNT film is applied as a transparent conductive electrode (TCE) thereof. The use of these one-dimensional (1D) nanomaterials allows the piezocomposite not only to have a high transparency along with low diffusivity, but also to exhibit enhanced mechanical properties. In addition, the coupling effect of piezo- and flexoelectricity exhibited from the electrospun NFs and the acid-doping effect conducted on the SWCNTs facilitate a significant improvement in kinetic energy-harvesting performance, leading to a maximum output voltage of 26.8 V. Moreover, electrospinning and aerosol chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods employed here are facile, scalable, and cost-effective, thus are expected to accelerate the development of industrially feasible next-generation wearable electronics.