Effect of particle size and morphology on the performance of BiFeO3–PDMS piezoelectric generators

Abstract

Piezoelectric oxide–polymer composite generators have attracted increasing attention for sensoring and energy-harvesting applications. In this work, the effect of the size and morphology of BiFeO₃ (BFO) particles on the performance of BFO–poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) composite generators is revealed. Three kinds of BFO particles—nanoparticles, microspheres, and microplates—were synthesized via solution synthesis routes and applied to BFO–PDMS composite films. The BFO microplates were found to be preferentially oriented along the pseudocubic <100> direction in the composite film due to their anisotropic morphology, while the nanoparticles and microspheres were not oriented. The composite film fabricated from the BFO microplates generated a higher open-circuit voltage in response to an applied compressive force compared to the other films. The effect of the particle size and morphology on the open-circuit voltage was discussed in terms of the dispersion and polarized states of the particles.