title: A flexible energy harvester based on a lead-free and piezoelectric BCTZ nanoparticle-polymer composite.
abstract: Lead-free piezoelectric 0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3-0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3(BCTZ) nanoparticles (NPs) composed of earth-abundant elements were adopted for use in a flexible composite-based piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) that can convert mechanical deformation into electrical energy. The solid-state synthesized BCTZ NPs and silver nanowires (Ag NWs) chosen to reduce the toxicity of the filler materials were blended with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix to produce a piezoelectric nanocomposite (p-NC). The naturally flexible polymer-based p-NC layers were sandwiched between two conductive polyethylene terephthalate plastic substrates to achieve a flexible energy harvester. The BCTZ NP-based PEH effectively generated an output voltage peak of ∼15 V and a current signal of ∼0.8 μA without time-dependent degradation. This output was adequate to operate a liquid crystal display (LCD) and to turn on six blue light emitting diodes (LEDs).
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea. dkkim@kaist.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Changyeon
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea. dkkim@kaist.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jong Hyuk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea. dkkim@kaist.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Ji Eun
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0834-5110
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea. dkkim@kaist.ac.kr and KAIST Institute for the NanoCentury (KINC), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Kyu
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea. dkkim@kaist.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Keon Jae
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy Engineering, Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology (GNTECH), 33 Dongjin-ro, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 52725, Republic of Korea. kipark@gntech.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Kwi-Il
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9140-6641
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea. dkkim@kaist.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Do Kyung
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Kim