Printed recyclable and self-poled polymer piezoelectric generators through single-walled carbon nanotube templating

Abstract

With an increasing global energy demand, along with a rising uptake of portable electronic devices, it is of great importance to investigate the viability of alternative energy harvesting technologies. Flexible piezoelectric generators (PEGs) are able to convert mechanical energy to electricity, making them an ideal candidate to decrease reliance on conventional energy sources and to power flexible, portable and implantable electronics. In this study, we show a low-energy production pathway for transparent PEGs based on poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE) via shear-induced alignment of its dipoles through extrusion printing, complemented by spatial dipolar templating o..