High-performance stretchable PZT particles/Cu@Ag branch nanofibers composite piezoelectric nanogenerator for self-powered body motion monitoring

The development of stretchable nanogenerators has attracted intensive attentions for their promising applications in wearable electronics recently. Here, a newly high-performance stretchable PZT particles/Cu@Ag branch nanofibers (BNFs) nanocomposite piezoelectric generator (NCPG) is reported. The uniform mixture of PZT particles and Cu@Ag BNFs is blended into silicone rubber matrix that exhibits remarkably piezoelectric, mechanical and electrical characteristics. Owing to the similar molding method and the identical elastic matrix, the piezoelectric layer and the electrode layers could be completely integrated into stretchable NCPG based on all-in-one structure, which reveals high output performances (V _peak–peak ≈ 61 V, I _peak–peak ≈ 1.1 μA, 22.36 μw cm⁻³). The generated electricity is utilized to directly light five green emitting diodes (LEDs) and to drive a digital thermometer after stored in capacitor under the mechanical tensile strain stimulation. Moreover, the stretchable NCPG could act as a self-powered body motion sensor for distinguishing the bending angles and frequencies of the knee joint. This work provides a novel design idea for stretchable nanogenerators and shows great potential applications in artificial intelligence, medical diagnosis and movement entertainment. (paper)