Abstract
As the demand for self-powered electronics and wearable sensor technology rapidly expands, harvesting mechanical energy via piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) offers a sustainable solution. In this work, we demonstrate a high-performance dynamic PENG based on highly aligned electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE) nanofibers filled with lead-free barium zirconate titanate-barium calcium titanate [(Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Zr0.10Ti0.90)O3, BZT-BCT] nanoparticles. The synergistic effect between the exceptionally high piezoelectric coefficient of BZT-BCT ceramics and the dominant electroactive β-phase induced by in situ electric field polarization and mechanical stretching during aligned electrospinning significantly enhances the mechanical-to-electrical conversion efficiency. Under a periodic compressive force of 10 N at a frequency of 3 Hz, the optimized PENG device incorporating 10 wt% BZT-BCT nanoparticles yields a maximum open-circuit voltage of 118.5 V, a short-circuit current of 3.42 µA, and an exceptional power density of 14.2 W/m² across an optimal load resistance of 10 MΩ. Furthermore, the device demonstrates extraordinary mechanical flexibility and long-term stability, maintaining over 96% of its initial voltage output after 10,000 continuous compression cycles. The developed flexible nanogenerator successfully powers commercial microelectronics and accurately detects human biomechanical movements, underscoring its significant potential for next-generation self-powered smart material systems.
