Electrical Connection Configurations for Polyvinylidene Fluoride Nanofabrics With Enhanced Piezoelectric Response

Various electrical connection configurations for piezoelectric nanofabrics (PNFs) fabricated from electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers and yarns were realized through different electrode designs, including interdigitated wire electrodes, screen electrodes, core-sheath electrodes, and their combinations. The effects of the electrode designs and weaving modes were investigated on the electromechanical performance. It was found that the piezoelectric output of the PNFs in response to mechanical input was significantly improved by increasing the contact area between the electrodes and the active piezoelectric nanofibers, and thus enhancing the connectivity of all the conductive elements in the PNFs. Large output voltage magnitude (~1.4 V) was observed in the PNF samples made of piezoelectric core-sheath yarn with optimized electrode connection and coverage. Our results here clearly prove the high importance of electrical connection configuration to the performance of PNFs. We believe there is a great room to optimize electrode designs and electrical connections for improved piezoelectric fabric sensors and transducers.