Effective-performance of inorganic and organic (barium zirconium titanate/polyvinylidene fluoride) piezoelectric composite for energy harvesting and self-powered smart IoT-based electronics

In the context of the rapidly advancing fields of energy harvesting and the Internet of Things (IoT), flexible piezoelectric materials have received significant attention for powering and providing sensing signals to electronic devices. In this study, piezoelectric barium zirconium titanate (BZT) material was synthesized via a solid-state reaction method at high temperatures. The synthesized BZT was incorporated as a filler in the PVDF polymer matrix to design a flexible piezoelectric device using a solvent-casting method. Structural analyses verified the formation of the tetragonal structure (P4mm) of BZT and the successful composite with PVDF. Piezoelectric properties of PVDF and BZT/PVDF were tested under mechanical force, revealing that the BZT/PVDF composite exhibited higher voltage output compared to PVDF under applied load. Furthermore, the BZT/PVDF composite demonstrated excellent stress tolerance and enhanced piezoelectric performance under varying loads. Notably, the BZT/PVDF composite showed impressive energy harvesting capabilities during finger tapping, storing electrical energy in capacitors, to power electronic watch, calculator, mini-speaker, and illuminating LEDs. The composite also exhibited potential for monitoring and harvesting energy from human motion. Additionally, BZT/PVDF was utilized as a smart lab alarm (SLA) system for the safety of human beings, enhancing safety in laboratories by signaling potential contact between BZT/PVDF and human beings in hazardous areas. These findings indicate the flexible BZT/PVDF composite as a promising solution for lead-free energy harvesting and self-powered smart IoT-based electronics.