Lead-free nanogenerator made from single ZnSnO3 microbelt

We demonstrated a single-microbelt nanogenerator first made using a ZnSnO(3) microbelt that generated an output power of ∼3 nW under a compressive and releasing strain of 0.8-1%. The ZnSnO(3) nanobelts/microbelts were synthesized using a vapor transfer process at 1173 K. The X-ray diffraction pattern shows that the microbelts belong to ZnSnO(3) with rhombohedral structure. An individual ZnSnO(3) microbelt was bonded at its ends on a flexible polystyrene substrate as a nanogenerator, which gives an output voltage and current of 100 mV and 30 nA, respectively, corresponding to an energy conversion efficiency of 4.2-6.6% (based on 0.8-1% strain). Our results show that ZnSnO(3) microbelts are one of the highly promising materials for lead-free piezoelectric energy harvesting.