Exploratory Research
Nanotechnologies
Research

(Closed) PIEZOFLEX – High-performance piezoelectric flexible materials enabled by hierarchically porous graphite for application as mechanical energy harvesters and sensors

Summary

Title	High-performance piezoelectric flexible materials enabled by hierarchically porous graphite for application as mechanical energy harvesters and sensors
Reference	UTA-EXPL/NPN/0015/2019
Scientific Area	Nanotechnologies
Funding (PT)	50 000,00 EUR
Funding (US)	50 000,00 USD
Leading Institutions	University of Aveiro Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering, UT Austin
Duration	12 months 15 months
Start date	November 1, 2020
End date	October 31, 2021 January 31, 2022
Keywords	Nanogenerator, Barium titanate, Sensor, Graphene

Piezoelectric materials have an impressive capacity to perform conversions from mechanical stresses into electric voltages and vice versa. These materials must be sufficiently thinner and resistant to be deformed, counteracting the weaknesses of inorganic metal oxides.

PIEZOFLEX aims at exploring an original paradigm in the design and scalable fabrication of high-performance piezoelectric flexible materials enabled by hierarchically porous graphite.

The project will inspire advances in the concept, design, and fabrication of functional flexible and stretchable materials for wearable electronics and energy harvesting and, simultaneously, in the research for more novel functional materials.

Key Outcomes

Two laboratory prototypes;
Scientific production (one M.Sc. thesis; one paper in an international journal, two communications in international and national meetings);
A webinar/conference.

Papers and Communications

Jia, Q., Liu, Y., Fan, D. E., & Shi, L. (2021). Structural and Synthetic Modification of Graphitic Foams and Dendritic Graphitic Foams for Thermal Management. In physica status solidi (a) (p. 2100576). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/pssa.202100576