title: Robust Mechanical-to-Electrical Energy Conversion from Short-Distance Electrospun Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Fiber Webs.
abstract: Electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofiber webs have shown great potential in making mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion devices. Previously, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers were produced either using near-field electrospinning (spinning distance<1 cm) or conventional electrospinning (spinning distance>8 cm). PVDF fibers produced by an electrospinning at a spinning distance between 1 and 8 cm (referred to as "short-distance" electrospinning in this paper) has received little attention. In this study, we have found that PVDF electrospun in such a distance range can still be fibers, although interfiber connection is formed throughout the web. The interconnected PVDF fibers can have a comparable β crystal phase content and mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion property to those produced by conventional electrospinning. However, the interfiber connection was found to considerably stabilize the fibrous structure during repeated compression and decompression for electrical conversion. More interestingly, the short-distance electrospun PVDF fiber webs have higher delamination resistance and tensile strength than those of PVDF nanofiber webs produced by conventional electrospinning. Short-distance electrospun PVDF nanofibers could be more suitable for the development of robust energy harvesters than conventionally electrospun PVDF nanofibers.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University , Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University , Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University , Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia.
authors.forename: Hongxia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University , Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia.|College of Textiles, Donghua University , Shanghai 201620, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chenhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University , Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia.
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lin
keywords: PVDF; electrospinning; interfiber connection; nanofiber; piezoelectric