Flexible wearable electronics has been developed rapidly penetrating into all fields of life and greatly promoting the development of the Internet-of-Things. Piezoelectric fiber membranes synthesized from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) based electro-spun composite materials have great potential in sensing and energy harvesting, especially with the incorporation of various types of nano-fillers for enhanced sensitivity and energy harvesting efficiency. In this talk, I will introduce the use of various nano-materials such as ZnO, Ag nanoparticles, Turmaline, graphene, CNTs as fillers in PVDF and TPU matrix for fabricating piezoelectric or piezo-resistive flexible sensors. The effects of nano-materials on the sensor’s sensitivity, output performance, mechanical and surface properties are evaluated and analysed. Due to the synergistic effect of enhanced electrostatic field polarization and surface hierarchical structure, the sensors have unique multi-properties of fast response/recovery, high sensitivity to human movement (flapping, finger, knee, and elbow movements), piezoelectric nano-generation, flexibility and durability. This study demonstrated the role of nano-materials in fabricating high performance flexible wearable sensors being capable of sensing and energy harvesting, providing a guideline for the design and build-up of wearable self-powered device in healthcare and human-computer interaction.  

Nano-material; piezoelectric sensor; flexible wearable device; nano generator