Here we discuss recent advances in using an environment-responsive polymer matrix to drive nanostructured piezoelectric arrays. The matrix-assisted energy conversion platform converts mechanical and non-mechanical energy sources into electrical energy and provides a novel system for studying energy transport at the nanoscale.  Through experiments and simulations we demonstrate that the performance of the piezoelectric materials is strongly dependent on the interaction between the matrix and the piezoelectric transducers. Key factors for tuning the output of the piezoelectric arrays includes the mechanical properties of the polymer matrix, the area fraction of the polymer, and the chemical interactions at the polymer/piezoelectric interface. The overall conversion efficiency of the piezoelectric arrays is dominated by the mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric, but can be controlled by optimizing the properties of the matrix and the piezoelectric transducer. The tunable nature of the platform is ideal for a wide range of applications including energy scavenging systems, novel sensor devices, and acoustic-based imaging.

Tunable energy conversion via nanostructured piezoelectric arrays embedded in an environment-responsive matrix

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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