Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SPENG (Stretchable Piezoelectric Nanogenerators for Energy Harvesting in Elastic Environments)
Período documentado: 2016-08-01 hasta 2018-07-31
In this Action, the Researcher has firstly successfully designed and fabricated freestanding stretchable electrodes, based on aerosol jet printing technology, conductive nanoparticle inks and polymeric inks. The electrode was geometrically structured to be stretchable, providing up to 180 % extension with resistance being changed by less than 3 times. The as-fabricated device could potentially be applied as a strain sensor under large deformation. Multi-layered of electrodes can be fabricated over one stretchable structure, making it applicable in on-skin touching sensing, integrated stretchable circuit, or stretchable humidity sensing. The Researcher has also conducted reviewing on polymer-based PZ NGs, simulation performing of the as-fabricated electrodes being applied in power generating, as well as attempt of integrating the nanogenerator with the electrode. Due to time limitation, the fully integrated stretchable PZ NG was not accomplished due to the as-fabricated stretchable electrodes not being structurally preferable in driving PZ material, based on some simulation and experimental results. Overall, the achieved objectives in this Action have addressed fabrication techniques for stretchable electrodes and their conducting or sensing applications in biological and other extreme environments that involve large scale deformation, as well as to provide a potential way, which still needs more research, to integrate polymeric PZ materials for stretchable energy harvesters.
In Work Package A the researcher has successfully design and fabricated a freestanding stretchable electrode based on modern aerosol jet printing (AJP) technique. Work performed included i) to become a skilled user of aerosol jet printer for complicate fabrication requirement, ii) ink development for electrode printing, iii) electric and mechanical characterization of the fabricated electrodes, and iv) optimization of the fabrication strategy and structure design.
In Work Package B the researcher has attempted to integrate the as-fabricated electrode with polymeric piezoelectric nanogenerators. Work conducted included i) a review of current soft material based nanogenerators, ii) polymeric piezoelectric nanowire characterization, iii) simulation and experimental study on mechanical performance for double layered stretchable electrode for applying in stretchable nanogenerators, iv) applications and demonstrations development for single or double layered stretchable electrode.
The fulfilment of Work Package B had some deviation from its original objectives. However, the researcher had established some interesting applications and demonstrations in related to the results achieved from Work Package A. The results from the Action have been published as various deliverables, including 3 conference presentations (2 oral, 1 poster) and 9 journal papers (including 1 currently being under review.) The technique of fabricating stretchable electrode developed in this Action will be further adopted in future researches, with one currently being conducted to monitor the strain of large deformation in extreme conditions of heart valve. The results of the Action will be further exposed to academic world with more and more applications being developed based on them.