Optimizing Piezoelectric Coefficient in PVDF Fibers: Key Strategies for Energy Harvesting and Smart Textiles

Abstract

With the advancement in smart electronic devices and self-powered devices, the demand for piezoelectric polymers found potential research interest. Among these, electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fibers have gained attention for energy harvesting due to their flexibility and higher piezoelectric coefficient. We compare various methods to enhance PVDF's piezoelectric properties, including different solvents (DMAc, DMF), conductive filler (rGO), and annealing as post-treatment. Our results indicate that PVDF/rGO fibers in DMAc solvent exhibit the highest β phase fraction and crystallinity. Moreover, for the first time, we present the piezoelectric properties of PVDF/rGO electrospun single fiber using high voltage switching spectroscopy piezoelectric force microscopy (HVSS-PFM). The highest piezoelectric coefficient (d33) was measured for PVDF/DMAc-rGO composite fibers. Notably, PVDF/rGO in DMAc solvent significantly improves the piezoelectric coefficient, leading to a remarkable fourfold increase in power density compared to pure PVDF, making it a promising material for energy harvesting applications.