Multiscale interconnected lead-free piezoceramic skeleton-based flexible piezoelectric sensors for wearable electronics and energy harvesting
摘要
Flexible piezoelectric sensors (FPS), enabling direct mechano-electrical conversion, have emerged as promising candidates for self-powered sensing in wearable electronics and ambient energy harvesting. However, their practical applications remain constrained by poor mechanical durability, limited flexibility, and intrinsic material toxicity. Here, we report a low-cost sacrificial templating strategy to construct a three-dimensional (3D) Mn-doped BiFeO3 (BFOMn) ceramic skeleton embedded in a soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix, yielding an ultra-flexible piezoelectric composite. The assembled FPS exhibits excellent electromechanical conversion, achieving a piezoelectric coefficient of 16.2 ± 0.9 pC/N and a high open-circuit voltage of 14.2 ± 1.0 V. Notably, the device maintains outstanding mechanical durability and stability, with < 3% voltage degradation even after 13,000 loading cycles and prolonged storage. Furthermore, demonstrations of human motion monitoring, light-emitting diode (LED) powering, and capacitor charging highlight its potential for practical applications. This work establishes a robust and generalizable strategy for lead-free FPS with improved performance, with potential applicability to diverse material systems and next-generation self-powered wearable electronics.