Study of the impact of photonic crystal additives on the piezoresponse of PVDF nanofibers

Abstract

Piezoelectric nanocomposites have been a rapidly growing field in energy harvesting, with applications in wearable electronics, strain sensors, mechanical actuators, and electromechanical membranes. This research initially reported the use of three-dimensional polymer photonic crystals with varying ratios. PVDF is responsible for piezoelectric performance and is a promising polymeric organic material for converting applied mechanical stress into electric voltage. In addition, TPU is widely used in the plastic industry due to its superior elasticity. Our work investigates the piezoelectric response of different blending ratios of PC + PVDF/TPU. it has been found that higher ratio of PC give higher output voltage under different stress conditions and higher photosensitivity. Then, addition of TPU, owing to its superior mechanical elasticity, can partially compensate for PVDF to enhance the piezoelectric response of the PVDF/TPU nanocomposite mats. This work can help increase strain sensitivity and mechanical elasticity with PCs, making it a unique contribution in this research direction and valuable for future devices.