Back to Search Start Over

Stretchable π-conjugated polymer electrets for mechanoelectric generators

Authors :
Akira Shinohara
Manabu Yoshida
Chengjun Pan
Takashi Nakanishi
Source :
Polymer Journal. 55:529-535
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2022.

Abstract

Electrets are materials that retain quasi-permanent electric charges and are attracting attention as key components of batteryless micropower supplies. A chemical structure that facilitates ionization and that can stabilize these charges, such as a π-conjugated system, is expected to increase the charge density compared with that of conventional insulating polymers. Here, we report a mechanoelectric generator (MEG) (vibrational energy harvester) that uses alkylated π-conjugated polymers (Alk-CPs), which can be monopolarized either into positive or negative mode electrets. With the attachment of insulating, bulky, yet flexible alkyl side chains to the π-conjugated backbone, the poled Alk-CPs showed long charge lifetime suitable for MEGs. The elastic modulus of the electret was adjusted to approximately match that of the stretchable polyurethane substrate by blending two miscible Alk-CPs with different elastic moduli, producing a laminated film that could be stretched up to 300%. The MEG presented showed conformability when applied to a deformable object.

Details

ISSN :
13490540 and 00323896
Volume :
55
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Polymer Journal
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........7ff81cc5dab17d73360df06173386198
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-022-00725-w