Investigation and Fabrication of Piezoelectric Based Nanogenerators for Energy Harvesting Applications

Abstract

PENGs (piezoelectric nanogenerators) have emerged a promising technology to harvest electrical energy from mechanical stress (pressure, vibrations) to empower the small-scale electronic devices. This study focuses on the investigation and fabrication of piezoelectric- based nanogenerators for energy harvesting applications. We designed and developed nanostructured devices by manipulating the piezoelectric properties of materials NaNbO3 (sodium niobate) for efficient energy conversion. The process for the fabrication of devices involved advanced techniques including hydrothermal synthesis, ink synthesis and EHD (electrohydrodynamic) printing for thin film deposition of NaNbO3 to achieve high- performance nanostructure with enhanced piezoelectric response of material and device. The materials and nanogenerators were characterized for their electrical properties and electrical output under various mechanical conditions e.g. UV, FTIR, Raman, XRD for material and IVfor device. Experimental results demonstrated a significant output voltage. The study also demonstrated the integration of PENGs with flexible substrates and the material is environmentally friendly for wearable, implantable devices and self-powered sensors. The work highlights the nanogenerators could be a good solution for sustainable energy harvesting in next-generation electronic devices.