Fabrication of well aligned P(VDF-TrFE) nanofibers with asymmetric comb-shape electrode

This paper presents an efficient fabrication process of highly aligned P(VDF-TrFE) nanofibers based on conventional far-field electrospinning (CFES) technique. By attaching a comb-shape electrode onto a fast rotating drum, the process combines the advantages of plane electrode and rotating-drum-collecting methods, which leads to the orientation of the deposited nanofibers and enhances it. Additionally, the high rotating speed also contributes to the fast and continuous deposition of the nanofibers with good alignment. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and X-ray pattern (XRD) indicate that P(VDF-TrFE) has formed crystalline of β-phase, which possesses piezoelectric characteristic. Since the deposited nanofibers are suspended over the electrodes, they can be easily transferred to other substrates which make them very flexible and convenience for further treatment and various applications. As a demonstration, we used this fabricated nanofiber to scavenge mechanical energy into electricity. Under the bend frequency of 3Hz, a segment of 1×2cm nanofibers can generate open-circuit voltage of 149mV and short-circuit current of 3.06nA, which shows the capability of this well oriented P(VDF-TrFE) nanofibers can harvest mechanical energy from tiny deformations.