Achieving High Power Density in Paper-based Piezoelectric Nanogenerators through Dual-phase BCZT Doping Strategy

doi:10.15541/jim20250064

Abstract

Abstract:

Development of high performance, flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) is critical for advancing self-powered sensing and microelectronic applications. In this study, a hydrogen-bond substitute strategy was employed to fabricate a multi-layer PENG based on a cellulose/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) blend film matrix, incorporating multi-phase BCZT (0.1BaZr_0.2Ti_0.8O₃-0.9Ba_0.7Ca_0.3TiO₃) ceramic fillers. Structural characterization via SEM and TEM revealed that an intricate hydrogen-bond network facilitated the uniform dispersion of ceramic fillers within the composite film’s sub-layers. In order to study the effect of filler distribution on piezoelectric performance, the single- and double-layer composite films with varying BCZT configurations were produced and evaluated. The results demonstrated that double-layer PENGs exhibit significantly enhanced electrical output compared to their single-layer counterparts, with the D-L₃H₇ configuration achieving an open circuit voltage (V_OC) of 23.13 V and a short circuit current (I_SC) of 8.32 μA. This enhancement is attributed to increased inter-layer interfaces, which effectively suppressed charge injection and migration, leading to improved charge density. Additionally, the presence of sharp tipped hexagonal tetragonal phase nanoparticles induced an electric field enhancement effect, further optimizing performance.

Key words: piezoelectric nanogenerator, cellulose, BCZT, hydrogen bond engineering strategy

CLC Number:

TM619

WANG Siting, SUN Zixiong, LIU Xinying, HAN Peiqiao, WANG Xiuli, ZHANG Sufeng. Achieving High Power Density in Paper-based Piezoelectric Nanogenerators through Dual-phase BCZT Doping Strategy[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2026, 41(1): 129-136.

Figures/Tables 10

Fig. 1 XRD patterns and FT-IR spectra of the two-phase powders, as well as the physical pictures of the sample films (a, b) XRD refined patterns of (a1) T-phase BCZT (tetragonal-phase) and (a2) C-phase (cubic-phase) BCZT; (b) FT-IR spectra of all films;(c1-c4) Real photos of (c1) S-L3H7, (c2) S-L5H5, (c3) D-L3H7, and (c4) D-L5H5

Fig. 2 Performance tests of PENGs with different configurations (a1) VOC and (a2) ISC of PENGs fabricated based on different single-layer composite films at 20 N/3 Hz; (b1) VOC and (b2) ISC of PENGs fabricated based on different double-layer composite films at 20 N/3 Hz. Colorful figures are available on website

Fig. 3 Monitoring of various human motions in real-time Output voltage as function of time for a typical D-L3H7 PENG at (a1) different finger joint bending (30°, 60°, and 90°) motions, (a2) different wrist joint bending (30°, 60°, and 90°) motions, (a3) different elbow joint bending (30°, 60°, and 90°) motions,and (a4) walk, run, and skip deformations

Fig. S1 Schematic diagrams of composite films with different structures (a1-a5) Schematic diagrams of double-layer composite films; (b1-b3) Schematic diagrams of single-layer composite films

Fig. S2 Morphological structure of the BCZT@cellulose/PVDF composite film (a1) SEM image of the general area of the D-L3H7 film; (a2-a6) EDS images of C, O, F, Ti, and Zr in Fig. (a1); (b1) TEM image of the general area of the D-L3H7 film; (b2-b7) EDS images of Ba, F, O, C, Ti, and Ca in Fig. (b1)

Fig. S3 Electrical performance tests of PENGs with different configurations (a1, a2) Frequency dependence of ε and tanσ of (a1) all single-layered films and (a2) all double-layered films; (b1, b2) Temperature dependence of ε and tanσ of (b1) S-H and (b2) D-L3H7; (c1, c2) P-E loops of (c1) all single-layered films and (c2) all double-layered films

Fig. S4 Water contact and mechanical property of different thin films (a1-a5) Water contact angles for single-layer filmss; (b1-b3) Water contact angles for double-layer films; (c) Stress-strain curves and (d) corresponding Young's modulus

Fig. S5 Durability test of the D-L3H7 PENG (a) 400 s; (b, c) Partially enlarged views of Fig. (a)

Table S1 Serial number and performance of single-layer PENG

Single-layer-structured PENG (number)	BCZT-L : BCZT-H	V_OC/V	I_SC/μA	P_D/(μW·cm^-2)
S-H	0 : 1	19.31	4.42	11.33
S-L₃H₇	3 : 7	15.63	3.17	6.58
S-L₅H₅	5 : 5	12.55	2.25	3.82
S-L₇H₃	7 : 3	7.52	1.18	1.17
S-L	1 : 0	5.23	0.88	0.57

Table S2 Serial number and performance of double-layer PENG

Double-layer-structured PENG (number)	BCZT-L : BCZT-H	V_OC/V	I_SC/μA	P_D/(μW·cm^-2)
D-L₃H₇	3 : 7	23.13	8.32	26.06
D-L₅H₅	5 : 5	17.53	6.71	14.45
D-L₇H₃	1 : 0	6.20	1.85	1.57

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