Scalable piezoelectric energy harvesting from PVDF-HFP/BZT-BCT/GO hybrid composite film

Abstract

Considering the growing demand for piezoelectric energy harvesting from ferroelectric–polymer-based composite materials and the benefits associated with them, this work focuses on piezoelectric energy harvesting from poly(vinylidene fluoride)-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP)/BZT-BCT/GO hybrid composite films synthesized via solution casting followed by the hot-pressing method. Structural properties were analyzed using XRD, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy. SEM micrographs confirmed the presence of pores in the synthesized samples that provided an added advantage toward enhancing its piezoelectricity. The dielectric and ferroelectric properties were studied, in which the dielectric constant increased up to 20.69, and the remnant polarization was found to be 0.0560 μC cm−2. A PUND analysis was performed to validate the data obtained from the static hysteresis loop. Piezoelectric charge and voltage coefficients were measured, which reach up to “−31 pC N−1” and “−252.5 mV m N−1,” respectively. Figure of merit, electromechanical coupling coefficient, and quality factor of the as-synthesized samples were calculated. A harvester prototype was fabricated to investigate the energy harvesting performance of the synthesized hybrid composite films. The highest open circuit voltage, short circuit current, and power density were recorded as 2.19 V, 24.17 nA, and 468.43 μ W m−2, respectively. The harvested energy can be utilized for powering low-power devices, showing the real-time applicability of the synthesized hybrid composite films.