Via a technique known as electrospinning, researchers at Penn State weave new possibilities for health sensors that can be part of clothing made with nanofiber materials that generate electricity from the wearer’s motion to power them. Image courtesy of Penn State.
A team led by researchers at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) developed a new fabrication approach that optimizes the internal structure of electrospun fibers to improve their performance in electronic applications. This novel electrospinning approach could open the door to more efficient, flexible, and scalable electronics for wearable sensors, health monitoring, and sustainable energy harvesting. The material has implications for the use in bandages.
The material is based on polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene, or PVDF-TrFE, a lightweight, flexible polymer known for its ability to generate an electric charge when pressed or bent. That quality, called piezoelectricity, makes it a strong candidate for use in electronics that convert motion into energy or signals. One surprising discovery came from experimenting with unusually high concentrations of polymer in the solution–roughly around 30%, which is much higher than typically used. By using a low molecular weight polymer, the chains were still mobile enough to pack well during crystallization. By improving the internal structure of the fibers without requiring high-voltage treatment or complex post-processing, the team created a material that could be both low-cost and scalable.
The material’s first intended application was for face masks, but it has broader uses in sensors and energy harvesters. Additionally, the material’s cloth-like texture could make it more comfortable than traditional plastic-based sensors–it could even be directly incorporated into clothing or bandages.
