article · Scientific Reports
Polymer-based piezoelectric nanogenerators offer potential for self-charging power systems in flexible and wearable electronics. Electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibre mats were modified by incorporating sonicated graphene oxide nanosheets at concentrations between 0 and 3 weight per cent. Adding graphene oxide enhanced the material piezoelectric properties across all concentrations by boosting the formation of the electroactive beta phase within the fibres. The 1.5 weight per cent formulation exhibited optimal performance, achieving an electroactive beta and gamma phase content of approximately 68.13 per cent and a piezoelectric coefficient of about 55.57 pC/N. Under impact testing, output voltage increased with applied force, yielding an open circuit voltage of roughly 3671 V/g, a power density of approximately 150 µW/cm², and a mechanical-to-electrical conversion efficiency of around 74.73 per cent.
Flexible and wearable electronics require compact, reliable power solutions that do not depend on conventional batteries. Enhancing how polymers convert mechanical movement into electricity supports the development of self-charging wearable systems. This work shows that introducing small fractions of graphene oxide into polymer nanofibres significantly improves energy harvesting output and conversion efficiency, offering a clearer route to higher-performance materials.
The findings are relevant to developers of self-charging power systems, wearable electronics, and flexible sensor devices seeking functional energy harvesting components. The work is at an early experimental stage, having demonstrated enhanced mechanical and electrical metrics in laboratory conditions through impulse and circuit testing. Moving towards commercialisation will require prototyping functional devices, evaluating operational longevity, and scaling up the electrospinning process beyond laboratory conditions.
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Tremendous research efforts have been directed toward developing polymer-based piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENG) in a promising step to investigate self-charging powered systems (SCPSs) and consequently, support the need for flexible, intelligent, and ultra-compact wearable electronic devices. In our work, electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofiber mats were investigated while graphene oxide (GO) was added with different concentrations (from 0 to 3 wt.%). Sonication treatment was introduced for 5 min to GO nanosheets before combined PVDF solution. A comprehensive study was conducted to examine the GO incremental effect. Microstructural and mechanical properties were examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a texture analyzer. Moreover, piezoelectric properties were assessed via various tests including impulse response, frequency effect, d<sub>33</sub> coefficient, charging and discharging analysis, and sawyer tower circuit. Experimental results indicate that incorporation of GO nanosheets enhances piezoelectric properties for all concentrations, which was linked to the increase in β phase inside the nanofibers, which has a significant potential of enhancing nanogenerator performance. PVDF-GO 1.5 wt.% shows a notably higher enhancing effect where the electroactive β-phase and γ-phase are recorded to be boosted to ~ 68.13%, as well as piezoelectric coefficient (d<sub>33</sub> ~ 55.57 pC/N). Furthermore, increasing impact force encouraged the output voltage. Also noted that the delivered open circuit voltage is ~ 3671 V/g and the power density is ~ 150 µw/cm<sup>2</sup>. It was observed that GO of concentration 1.5 wt.% recorded a conversion efficiency of ~ 74.73%. All results are in line, showing better performance for PVDF-GO 1.5 wt.% for almost all concentrations.
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DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66258-9
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