High impact publication
Piezo Force Microscopy featuring in Energy & Environmental Science (IF 33.250)
Flexible and transparent piezoelectric generators (PEGs) have emerged as promising candidates for powering future wearable and implantable electronics. The development of these polymer-based devices has been impeded by expensive and arduous processing steps required to align the dipoles within the device. This energy intensive process, namely electrical poling, requires voltages of up to 400 MV m-1. Further, current polymer-based PEGs are non-recyclable, meaning any damage to their surface results in an irreversible loss of performance. Here we address these limitations in polymer-based PEGs. By combining polymer shear-alignment through 3D printing and doping with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) we can align the polymer dipole without electrical poling. The 3D printed flexible and transparent PEGs present a power density and peak-to-peak voltage comparable to electrically poled devices, at a fraction of the production time and energy cost. By intelligent selection of our polymer, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE), these 3D printed PEGs can be dissolved and reprinted in the green solvent, acetone. These breakthroughs in low energy production and recycling of polymer-based PEGs, driven by comprehensive experimental and theoretical studies, presents a new paradigm for design of high performance PEGs.
Printed recyclable and self-poled polymer piezoelectric generators through single-walled carbon nanotube templating Nick A. Shepelin, Peter C. Sherrell, Eirini Goudeli, Emmanuel N. Skountzos, Vanessa C. Lussini, Greg W. Dicinoski, Joseph G. Shapter and Amanda V. Ellis