Mechanical and electrical characterization of PVDF-ZnO hybrid structure for application to nanogenerator

Abstract The hybridization of different nanomaterials has been studied widely for the versatile use of nanogenerators in a range of environments. This paper reports an analysis of the power enhancements in a hybrid piezoelectric structure comprised of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) polymer. The mechanical properties were examined by atomic force microscopy and simulated by the finite element method. The electrical properties of the hybrid nanogenerators were observed by electrostatic force microscopy and direct I-V measurements. Based on this analysis, the ZnO nanowires delivered internal strain to the PVDF in the hybrid structure, which enhanced the electrical power output of a hybrid nanogenerator. These results may open up new ways to optimize a hybrid piezoelectric structure in terms of its design and the spatial arrangement of each nanostructure.