Electrospun Poly L-Lactic Acid Nanofiber Webs Presenting Enhanced Piezoelectric Properties

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Piezoelectric Devices

Background:

• Poly L-lactic acid (PLA) nanofiber webs are researched for piezoelectric applications.
• Incorporating ferroelectric nanoparticles can enhance piezoelectric properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the piezoelectric properties of poly L-lactic acid (PLA) nanofiber webs.
• To investigate the effect of barium titanate nanoparticles (BTNPs) on PLA nanofiber web performance.
• To evaluate sensor performance improvements through corona poling and web stacking.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of composite nanofiber webs by incorporating BaTiO3 nanoparticles into PLA.
• Characterization using field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction.
• Piezoelectric performance evaluation by measuring peak-to-peak output voltage (Vp-p).

Main Results:

• PLA/BTNP nanofiber webs showed higher Vp-p than pure PLA.
• Corona-poled PLA/BTNP sensors exhibited further increased Vp-p.
• Stacking nanofiber webs was evaluated for enhanced sensor performance.

Conclusions:

• Barium titanate nanoparticle incorporation effectively enhances the piezoelectric performance of PLA nanofiber webs.
• Corona poling significantly boosts the piezoelectric output of these composite sensors.
• Stacking offers a potential strategy for further improving sensor sensitivity.