Harnessing the Mechanical and Magnetic Energy with PMN-PT/Ni-Mn-In-based Flexible Piezoelectric Nanogenerator

Multifunctional piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENG) hold significant potential in developing smart sensing technologies for the military, healthcare, and industrial sectors. Here, we present the efficient energy harvesting from mechanical and magnetic stimuli in 0.67Pb (Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃-0.33PbTiO₃ (PMN-PT) / Ni₅₀Mn₃₅In₁₅ (Ni-Mn-In)-based PENG fabricated on a flexible nickel substrate using the DC/RF magnetron sputtering technique. The performance of the device has been assessed by imparting forces in the range of 0.12 to 0.61 N using various weights, finger tapping, bending, and magnetic fields. The device generates the maximum open circuit voltage (V_oc) of 9.3 V and 6 V with 0.61 N of force and finger tapping, respectively. The corresponding short circuit current (I_sc) has been obtained as 1.33 µA (0.61 N) and 0.9 µA (finger tapping). The device shows a maximum V_oc of 10.6 V and I_sc of 1.51 µA at the bending angle of 120^°. Furthermore, the V_oc and I_sc have increased from 0 mV and 0 nA to 240 mV and 35 nA under the presence of 0 Oe to 500 Oe of DC magnetic field, respectively. The fabricated device exhibited a power density of 2.7 µW/cm² with a high mechanical stability of 2500 cycles. Additionally, LEDs of green, red, yellow, and white color have been illuminated. The receptiveness of the fabricated PENG towards mechanical and magnetic stimuli highlights its potential in areas such as tactile sensing, wearable electronics, human-machine interfaces, and biomedical devices.