Post-Transition Metal Dichalcogenide SnS₂ Nanoflower/PVDF Composite: A Smart Wearable Self-Powered Mechanosensor

The escalating demand for wearables has led to a surge in the development of portable and flexible electronics. Consequently, exploring different materials for the efficient design of the device has become an inevitable aspect of this particular research area. Therefore, in this work, we present post-transition metal dichalcogenide tin disulfide (SnS₂) nanoflowers, to effectively engineer the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) functional layer, which serves as the heart of the device. These hydrothermally grown SnS₂ nanoflowers can significantly nurture the physiochemical properties of the PVDF matrix. Consequently, the assembled optimized device is capable of generating an output voltage of 60 ± 4 V, with an output current of 8 ± 0.4 μA, while maintaining a good output power density of 87.11 μW·cm^-2. The device successfully harvested mechanical energies from several biomechanical movements including finger, elbow, neck, and wrist bending. Furthermore, the optimized device demonstrated a high efficiency in static and dynamic pressure sensing. This utilization of post-transition metal dichalcogenides paves the way for groundbreaking improvements in the fields of biomechanical energy harvesting and static and dynamic pressure sensing.