The Radial Piezoelectric Response from Three-Dimensional Electrospun PVDF Micro Wall Structure

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Energy Harvesting

Background:

• Electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fibers exhibit piezoelectric properties, but random fiber arrangement limits practical energy conversion applications.
• Traditional electrospinning methods result in randomly oriented fibers, hindering efficient piezoelectric energy harvesting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a 3D electrospinning technique for fabricating precisely arranged PVDF micro-architectures.
• To investigate the piezoelectric properties and mechanical robustness of PVDF structures created via 3D electrospinning.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a developed 3D electrospinning technique to create a PVDF micro wall with densely stacked, aligned fibers.
• Characterized the PVDF structure using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) to confirm β phase crystallinity.
• Measured the piezoelectric response of the assembled PVDF micro wall under mechanical compression.

Main Results:

• The 3D electrospinning technique successfully fabricated PVDF micro walls with predominant β phase crystallinity.
• The PVDF micro wall demonstrated a piezoelectric response of approximately 0.48 V and 2.7 nA.
• The structure maintained its piezoelectric performance after over 10,000 cycles of mechanical compression, indicating high durability.

Conclusions:

• The developed 3D electrospinning technique enables precise structural fabrication and in situ piezoelectric poling of PVDF.
• The novel PVDF micro wall structure offers a promising platform for efficient piezoelectric energy harvesting and sensing applications.
• The high mechanical robustness and stable piezoelectric output make this structure attractive for long-term energy conversion device integration.