Abstract A novel lead-free flexible piezoelectric energy harvester structure based on porous BCZT pillars and PDMS was achieved. Compared with 0–3 type piezoelectric composites, where the piezoelectric phase is isolated within the material, flexible piezoelectric energy harvesters based on a three-dimensional interconnected ceramic skeleton are of particular interest due to their high stress transfer capability and high piezoelectric coefficients. Herein, a novel lead-free flexible piezoelectric energy harvester structure based on porous BCZT pillars and PDMS was developed. The effect of porosity on piezoelectric coefficients, ferroelectric properties and energy harvesting performance is investigated in detail. The aligned BCZT-PDMS composite shows great potential in piezoelectric energy harvesting due to excellent piezoelectric properties and stress transfer capability compared with 0–3 type composites. The […]

Abstract Hydrogels are formed through the cross-linking of hydrophilic polymer chains within large amounts of water. The water-rich nature resembles extracellular matrices and makes them a natural choice for tissue engineering and biomedicine. In recent years, ascribed to the fast growing of wearable and implantable devices, hydrogel gradually emerges as an important material platform for designing soft electronics, artificial skin, actuators and on-body electricity generators. Also, due to the unique water state inside, hydrogels are taking a growing role in energy applications. In this talk, I will introduce the recent works from our group to engineer the heat and mass transfer in hydrogels for ionic conductor, ionic modulation, vapor pressure control and optical regulation. The applications include sensor design, microfluidic […]