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Biocompatible Silk/Polymer Energy Harvesters Using Stretched Poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) Nanofibers
Polymers (2017)
  • Raghid Najjar, Rowan University
  • Yi Luo, Hangzhou Dianzi University
  • Dave Jao, Rowan University
  • David Brennan, Rowan University
  • Ye Xue, Rowan University
  • Vince Beachley, Rowan University
  • Xiao Hu, Rowan University
  • Wei Xue, Washington State University Vancouver
Abstract
Energy harvested from human body movement can produce continuous, stable energy to portable electronics and implanted medical devices. The energy harvesters need to be light, small, inexpensive, and highly portable. Here we report a novel biocompatible device made of poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) nanofibers on flexible substrates. The nanofibers are prepared with electrospinning followed by a stretching process. This results in aligned nanofibers with diameter control. The assembled device demonstrates high mechanical-to-electrical conversion performance, with stretched PVDF-HFP nanofibers outperforming regular electrospun samples by more than 10 times. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) reveals that the stretched nanofibers have a higher β phase content, which is the critical polymorph that enables piezoelectricity in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is initially selected as the substrate material for its low cost, high flexibility, and rapid prototyping capability. Bombyx Mori silkworm silk fibroin (SF) and its composites are investigated as promising alternatives due to their high strength, toughness, and biocompatibility. A composite of silk with 20% glycerol demonstrates higher strength and larger ultimate strain than PDMS. With the integration of stretched electrospun PVDF-HFP nanofibers and flexible substrates, this pilot study shows a new pathway for the fabrication of biocompatible, skin-mountable energy devices.
Keywords
  • energy harvester,
  • polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF),
  • silk,
  • piezoelectricity,
  • electrospinning,
  • stretching
Publication Date
September 30, 2017
DOI
10.3390/polym9100479
Publisher Statement
Open Access
Citation Information
Raghid Najjar, Yi Luo, Dave Jao, David Brennan, et al.. "Biocompatible Silk/Polymer Energy Harvesters Using Stretched Poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) Nanofibers" Polymers Vol. 9 Iss. 10 (2017) p. 479
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/vincent-beachley/6/