High-performance piezoelectric nanogenerator based on microstructured P(VDF-TrFE)/BNNTs composite for energy harvesting and radiation protection in space

Abstract Stable and durable piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) with good flexibility, high performance and superior radiation resistance under harsh environments are promising for space exploration. Here, a novel PENG based on P(VDF-TrFE)/boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) nanocomposite micropillar arrays with enhanced performance and excellent neutron radiation shielding is prepared by a reliable nanoimprint lithography. The PENG comprised of a microstructured P(VDF-TrFE)/0.3 wt% BNNTs nanocomposite demonstrates an outstanding output voltage of 22 V and a sensitivity of 55 V/MPa under the pressure of 0.4 MPa, which are 11-fold higher than those of pristine P(VDF-TrFE) film. This dramatic enhancement in performance is ascribed to synergistic contributions from strong piezoelectric BNNTs and a strain confinement effect of the nanocomposite microstructure. In practice, the PENG is capable of scavenging various mechanical and biomechanical energy for lighting up commercial LEDs, an LCD screen and a digital watch. More importantly, the as-obtained PENG exhibited 9% neutron radiation shielding with neutron cross section increase reaching 260% when compared to the film without BNNTs. Moreover, the high output is retained after 2 h of neutron radiation exposure. Overall, the as-prepared microstructured nanocomposites look promising for high-efficiency piezoelectric nanogenerators for the self-powered and wearable electronic devices, in particularly, under the extreme space environments.