A Sandwich-Structured Piezoelectric Elastomer Containing a Porous Core Layer for Improving Output Performance

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Flexible polymer-based piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) are vital for portable electronics and self-powered sensors.
• A key challenge is balancing high elasticity with superior piezoelectric output due to mechanical compliance and electromechanical coupling trade-offs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-performance, flexible piezoelectric elastomer.
• To overcome the inherent limitations in combining elasticity and piezoelectricity in energy harvesting materials.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a sandwich-structured piezoelectric elastomer (STPPE) using thermoset polyurethane (TSPU)/P(VDF-TrFE)/PZT core and TSPU/P(VDF-TrFE) skin layers.
• Utilized physical foaming and laminated structural engineering.
• Optimized porous morphology, β-phase content, and mechanical properties by tuning foaming agent content and curing temperature.

Main Results:

• The STPPE demonstrated significantly enhanced piezoelectric performance with an open-circuit voltage (V_oc) of 62.1 V and a charge (Q) of 11.6 nC at 13 N.
• Achieved a high output of 80.1 V and 44.7 nC at 100 N, with a power density of 2.6 µW·cm^-2.
• Exhibited stable electrical output over 10,000 cycles.

Conclusions:

• The developed STPPE offers a robust strategy for creating lightweight, elastic piezoelectric composites.
• This material shows significant potential for next-generation wearable electronics and self-powered sensors.
• The approach effectively addresses the trade-off between elasticity and piezoelectric performance.