Electrospun uniaxially-aligned composite nanofibers as highly-efficient piezoelectric material

A uniaxially-aligned nanofibrous matrix was produced by electrospinning and it demonstrates strong piezoelectric property. The matrix is composed of highly-aligned polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer nanofibers embedded with barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles. Measurements of piezoelectrically generated voltages in response to mechanical deformation of BaTiO3–PVDF composite nanofibers with various concentrations of BaTiO3 nanoparticles showed that the magnitude of the resultant voltage increases as the nanoparticle concentration increases. PVDF nanofibers with 16 wt% BaTiO3 nanoparticles exhibit piezoelectric output voltages that are 1.7 times greater than PVDF fibers without BaTiO3 nanoparticles when subjected to the same degree of deformation. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the uniaxial alignment of PVDF nanofibers with individual fiber diameters of ~200 nm as well as the presence of BaTiO3 deposits. The increased piezoelectric response of uniaxially-aligned BaTiO3–PVDF nanofibers in comparison with randomly oriented PVDF fibers and thin films suggests possible uses for such nanofibers in energy harvesting and as power sources in miniaturized electronic devices like wearable smart textiles and implantable biosensors.