Piezoelectric ribbons printed onto rubber for flexible energy conversion.
The development of a method for integrating highly efficient energy conversion materials onto stretchable, biocompatible rubbers could yield breakthroughs in implantable or wearable energy harvesting systems. Being electromechanically coupled, piezoelectric crystals represent a particularly interesting subset of smart materials that function as sensors/actuators, bioMEMS devices, and energy converters. Yet, the crystallization of these materials generally requires high temperatures for maximally efficient performance, rendering them incompatible with temperature-sensitive plastics and rubbers. Here, we overcome these limitations by presenting a scalable and parallel process for transferring crystalline piezoelectric nanothick ribbons of lead zirconate titanate from host substrates onto flexible rubbers over macroscopic areas. Fundamental characterization of the ribbons by piezo-force microscopy indicates that their electromechanical energy conversion metrics are among the highest reported on a flexible medium. The excellent performance of the piezo-ribbon assemblies coupled with stretchable, biocompatible rubber may enable a host of exciting avenues in fundamental research and novel applications.
Qi
Yi
Y
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, New Jersey 08544, USA.
Jafferis
Noah T
NT
Lyons
Kenneth
K
Lee
Christine M
CM
Ahmad
Habib
H
McAlpine
Michael C
MC
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry; D003460:Crystallization; D004560:Electricity; D004867:Equipment Design; D007854:Lead / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D055617:Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010969:Plastics; D012408:Rubber / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry; D015040:Zirconium / Q000737:chemistry
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D010969:Plastics; C065536:lead titanate zirconate; D007854:Lead; D012408:Rubber; D015040:Zirconium; D014025:Titanium