Enhanced Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Performance of Flexible PVDF-TrFE Bilayer Films with Graphene Oxide

Ferroelectric materials have attracted interest in recent years due to their application in energy harvesting owing to its piezoelectric nature. Ferroelectric polymers are flexible and can sustain larger strains compared to inorganic counterparts, making them attractive for harvesting energy from mechanical vibrations. Herein, we report, for the first time, the enhanced piezoelectric energy harvesting performance of the bilayer films of poled poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [PVDF-TrFE] and graphene oxide (GO). The bilayer film exhibits superior energy harvesting performance with a voltage output of 4 V and power output of 4.41 μWcm–2 compared to poled PVDF-TrFE films alone (voltage output of 1.9 V and power output of 1.77 μWcm–2). The enhanced voltage and power output in the presence of GO film is due to the combined effect of electrostatic contribution from graphene oxide, residual tensile stress, enhanced Young’s modulus of the bilayer films, and the presence of space charge at the interface of the PVDF-TrFE and GO films, arising from the uncompensated polarization of PVDF-TrFE. Higher Young’s modulus and dielectric constant of GO led to the efficient transfer of mechanical and electrical energy.