Rigid and electrode-compatible multicomponent organic crystals for piezoelectric energy harvesting

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Crystallography
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Organic piezoelectric materials are crucial for developing advanced sensors and actuators.
• Crystal engineering principles enable nanoscale property tuning in piezoelectric materials.
• Multicomponent materials like cocrystals and metal-organic frameworks offer tailored piezoelectric properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel multicomponent crystal (MCC), l-argininium amidosulfonate hemihydrate (Sa·l-Arg·0.5H₂O), for piezoelectric applications.
• To investigate the piezoelectric response and performance of Sa·l-Arg·0.5H₂O in polycrystalline disc form.
• To evaluate the potential of Sa·l-Arg·0.5H₂O as a sustainable sensing and actuating material.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of the multicomponent crystal Sa·l-Arg·0.5H₂O.
• Scaling up the material and self-assembling it into polycrystalline discs.
• Electroding the discs using various methods (Cu tapes, Al tapes, Ag@CC) and measuring open-circuit voltage under mechanical stress.

Main Results:

• Sa·l-Arg·0.5H₂O exhibited a maximum local longitudinal piezoelectric response (d₃₃) of 3.53 pC N^-1, aligning with predicted values.
• Polycrystalline discs generated a maximum open-circuit voltage of 14.5 V (Cu electrodes) and 14.2 V (Al electrodes) upon manual tapping.
• The material demonstrated high voltage output, low surface roughness, and high mechanical strength without increased brittleness.

Conclusions:

• Sa·l-Arg·0.5H₂O is a promising multicomponent piezoelectric crystal for energy harvesting and sensing applications.
• The developed polycrystalline discs offer a robust and efficient platform for piezoelectric devices.
• This research highlights the potential of multicomponent crystals in creating sustainable and high-performance piezoelectric materials.