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

There has been extensive research on electrospun ferroelectric nanoparticle-doped poly L-lactic acid (PLA) nanofiber web piezoelectric devices. In this study, BaTiO₃ nanoparticles (BTNPs) were incorporated into the PLA to enhance the piezoelectric properties. The composite nanofiber webs were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The piezoelectric behavior was analyzed by measuring the peak-to-peak output voltage (V_p-p) of the samples. The sensors fabricated from the PLA/BTNP nanofiber webs exhibited higher V_p-p values than the conventional electrospun PLA sensors. Furthermore, the corona-poled PLA/BTNP nanofiber web sensors exhibited even higher V_p-p values than the non-corona-poled sensors. Lastly, the effect of stacking nanofiber webs in terms of enhancing the sensor performance was also evaluated.