Piezoelectric sensing performance of flexible P(VDF-TrFE)/PBDMS porous polymer materials

Polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene [P(VDF-TrFE)] polymer materials possess good piezoelectric properties, leading to their use in many practical applications as sensors and transducers. However, pure P(VDF-TrFE) exhibits relatively brittle properties and low thermal resistance. In this work, porous P(VDF-TrFE)/PBDMS flexible materials were designed by embedding a low Young's modulus polyborosiloxane (PBDMS) into the [P (VDF-TrFE)] structure. These P(VDF-TrFE)/PBDMS porous polymer materials exhibit excellent flexibility and piezoelectric response to external stimuli such as bending, shock, vibration, and breathing. The output voltage of these polymer materials can be maintained at a high value of 8.25 V over 6600 cycles of continuous vibration. In addition, the porous polymer materials generate a transient voltage response when in contact with small droplets of water at different temperatures. This work provides a novel approach for designing lightweight and wearable piezoelectric sensors for potential applications in human motion monitoring, mechanical vibration monitoring, and pyroelectric devices.