Recent Advances in Polyvinylidene Fluoride with Multifunctional Properties in Nanogenerators

Amid the global energy crisis and rising emphasis on sustainability, efficient energy harvesting has become a research priority. Nanogenerators excel in converting abundant mechanical and thermal energy into electricity, offering a promising path for sustainable solutions. Among various nanogenerator's materials, Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), with its distinctive molecular structure, exhibits multifunctional electrical properties including dielectric, piezoelectric and pyroelectric characteristics. These properties combined with its excellent flexibility make PVDF a prime candidate material for nanogenerators. In nanogenerators, this material is capable of efficiently collecting and converting energy. This paper discusses how PVDF's properties are manifested in three types of nanogenerators and compares the performance of these nanogenerators. In addition, strategies to improve the output performance of nanogenerators are demonstrated, including physical and chemical modification of materials, as well as structural optimization strategies such as hybrid structures and external circuits. It also introduces the application of this material in natural and human energy harvesting, as well as its promising prospects in medical technologies and smart home systems. The aim is to promote the use of PVDF in self-powered sensing, energy harvesting and smart monitoring, thereby providing valuable insights for designing more efficient and versatile nanogenerators.