TY - GEN
T1 - Enhanced piezoelectricity and stretchability in energy harvesting devices fabricated from buckled PZT ribbons
AU - Qi, Yi
AU - Purohit, Prashant K.
AU - McAlpine, Michael C.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - The development of a method for integrating highly efficient energy conversion materials onto soft, biocompatible substrates could yield breakthroughs in implantable or wearable energy harvesting systems. Of particular interest are devices which can conform to irregular, curved surfaces, and operate in vital environments that may involve both flexing and stretching modes. Previous studies have shown significant advances in the integration of highly efficient piezoelectric nanocrystals on flexible and bendable substrates. Yet, such inorganic nanomaterials are mechanically incompatible with the extreme elasticity of elastomeric substrates. Here, we present a novel strategy for overcoming these limitations, by generating wavy piezoelectric ribbons on silicone rubber. Our results show that the amplitudes in the waves accommodate order-ofmagnitude increases in maximum tensile strain without fracture. Further, local probing of the buckled ribbons reveals an enhancement in the piezoelectric effect of up to 70%, thus representing the highest reported piezoelectric response on a stretchable medium. These results allow for the integration of energy conversion devices which operate in stretching mode via reversible stretching and release deformations in the wavy/buckled ribbons.
AB - The development of a method for integrating highly efficient energy conversion materials onto soft, biocompatible substrates could yield breakthroughs in implantable or wearable energy harvesting systems. Of particular interest are devices which can conform to irregular, curved surfaces, and operate in vital environments that may involve both flexing and stretching modes. Previous studies have shown significant advances in the integration of highly efficient piezoelectric nanocrystals on flexible and bendable substrates. Yet, such inorganic nanomaterials are mechanically incompatible with the extreme elasticity of elastomeric substrates. Here, we present a novel strategy for overcoming these limitations, by generating wavy piezoelectric ribbons on silicone rubber. Our results show that the amplitudes in the waves accommodate order-ofmagnitude increases in maximum tensile strain without fracture. Further, local probing of the buckled ribbons reveals an enhancement in the piezoelectric effect of up to 70%, thus representing the highest reported piezoelectric response on a stretchable medium. These results allow for the integration of energy conversion devices which operate in stretching mode via reversible stretching and release deformations in the wavy/buckled ribbons.
KW - flexoelectric effect
KW - hybrid mechanics
KW - piezoribbons
KW - stretchable energy harvesting
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79958012887&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79958012887&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1117/12.882827
DO - 10.1117/12.882827
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:79958012887
SN - 9780819486059
T3 - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
BT - Micro- and Nanotechnology Sensors, Systems, and Applications III
T2 - Micro- and Nanotechnology Sensors, Systems, and Applications III
Y2 - 25 April 2011 through 29 April 2011
ER -