Quenched PVDF/PMMA Porous Matrix for Triboelectric Energy Harvesting and Sensing

Abstract

The rapid development of nanotechnology has significantly revolutionized wearable electronics and expanded their functionality. Through introducing innovative solutions for energy harvesting and autonomous sensing, this research presents a cost-effective strategy to enhance the performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). The TENG was fabricated from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and N, N′-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blend with a porous structure via a novel optimized quenching method. The developed approach results in a high β-phase content (85.7%) PVDF/3wt.%PMMA porous blend, known for its superior piezoelectric properties. PVDF/3wt.%PMMA modified porous TENG demonstrates remarkable electrical output, with a dielectric constant of 40 and an open-circuit voltage of approximately 600 V. The porous matrix notably increases durability, enduring over 36 000 operational cycles without performance degradation. Moreover, practical applications were explored in this research, including powering LEDs and pacemakers with a maximum power output of 750 mW m⁻². Also, TENG served as a self-powered tactile sensor for robotic applications in various temperature conditions. The work highlights the potential of the PVDF/PMMA porous blend to utilize the next-generation self-powered sensors and power small electronic devices.