Direct 3D-printed triboactive polymer layers on stretchable conductive fabric for high-performance T-TENGs - Aswathy Babu, Akshaya Kumar Aliyana, Christopher O’Hara, Charchit Kumar, Connell Boal, A. Goswami, George K. Stylios, Daniel M. Mulvihill (Nano Energy, 2025)
Printing polymer materials onto fabrics presents significant challenges, particularly due to high-temperature printing requirements and adhesion issues. This investigation presents a novel approach to fabricating high-performance textile-triboelectric nanogenerators (T-TENGs) by direct 3D printing of polymers onto stretchable conductive fabrics using a low-cost fused filament fabrication (FFF) method for wearable energy harvesting and sensing applications. Achieving strong interfacial adhesion between triboactive polymers and flexible conductive fabric substrates remains challenging. This work effectively demonstrates the integration of polypropylene (PP) via direct 3D printing on fabric electrodes, enabling precise surface patterning and enhanced mechanical stability. Systematic evaluations were conducted to assess the impact of surface patterning, single-layer (SL) and double-layer (DL) printing configurations, and varying thicknesses. These studies revealed that surface engineering plays a critical role in optimizing triboelectric properties. The fabricated PP-based T-TENG exhibited a maximum output voltage of approximately 193.3 V, a peak current of around 17 μA and a peak power density of up to 2043 mW/m². Direct 3D printing enabled intimate and uniform bonding between the dielectric layer and the fabric electrode, resulting in higher output than conventional electrode attachment approaches. Notably, the newly developed T-TENGs are highly flexible, scalable, shape-adaptable, washable, and mechanically stable. The successful integration of these T-TENGs into an Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled adaptive touch sensing system demonstrates the real-world applicability. Further, this work advances the potential of self-powered wearable devices for a broad spectrum of applications in healthcare, robotics, and environmental monitoring by enabling real-time tracking and remote monitoring through IoT connectivity.

Self-powered multilayer impact sensor consisting of CFRP integrated with soft and hard piezoelectric layers - Ziwen Zhao, Longfei He, Zhijie Lin, Zhenjin Wang, Hiroki Kurita, Yu Shi, Fumio Narita (Composites Part B Engineering, 2025)
This study presents the design, development, and evaluation of a multilayer sensor composed of carbon fiber–reinforced polymers (CFRP) integrated with soft and hard piezoelectric layers (hereinafter CFRP/Piezolayer-Hard&Soft) for advanced impact sensing and energy harvesting. This novel design incorporates hard and soft potassium sodium niobate (KNN) piezoelectric composites, optimized at 35 and 40 vol% KNN contents, respectively. The hard layer provides superior mechanical strength and energy-harvesting efficiency, and the soft layer enhances flexibility and sensitivity, thus redistributing stress and mitigating damage effectively. The CFRP/Piezolayer-Hard&Soft configuration exhibits the best impact-sensing performance, achieving a peak sensitivity of 1.5 mV/ g and substantial energy-harvesting capabilities at resonance frequency. Failure analysis under high-energy impacts reveals distinct signal behaviors associated with brittle and ductile fracture mechanisms, offering insights into the composite failure process. The proposed sensor has exceptional durability, mechanical robustness, and sensing sensitivity and is thus a promising candidate for structural health monitoring and self-powered sensing applications. • Developed a multilayer CFRP–soft–hard-piezoelectric sensor with high-energy-harvesting efficiency and impact-sensing sensitivity • Achieved a maximum sensitivity of 1.5 mV/ g and energy-harvesting capabilities at resonance frequency • Conducted enhanced impact resistance and failure mechanism analysis, revealing distinct brittle and ductile fracture behaviors in the composite structure

A smart acoustic textile for health monitoring - Yingqiang Wang, Chaochao Sun, Daniel Ahmed (Nature Electronics, 2025)
Wearable electronics, such as smart textiles, are of potential use in healthcare monitoring, human-machine interfaces and environmental analysis. However, the scalability and reliability of the technology is restricted due to challenges related to rapid material degradation, potential toxicity, high production costs and heavy computational workload. Here we report an acoustic-based smart textile technology. The approach, which we term SonoTextiles, uses piezoelectric transducers that are mounted at both ends of glass microfibres and act as transmitters and receivers of acoustic waves. The flexible glass microfibres act as acoustic waveguides and are embedded into the textile substrate, providing precise sensing by measuring wave propagation and energy loss along the fibre in response to stimuli such as touch and bending. We also use acoustic frequency selectivity and frequency-domain signal processing algorithms to enhance computational efficiency. Our acoustic textile is breathable, d urable and stable under thermal fluctuations, and we show that it can be used in distributed tactile sensing, hand gesture recognition and respiratory rate monitoring.

Self‐Poled PVDF Infiltrated Nylon 11 Aerogels with Oriented Crystals for High‐Performance Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters and Self‐Powered Acoustic Sensors - Ashitha George, B. S. Athira, Achu Chandran, Kuzhichalil Peethambharan Surendran, E. Bhoje Gowd (Small, 2025)
Abstract Efficient piezoelectric polymers with enhanced electromechanical conversion gain significant attention for energy harvesting and sensing applications. Among them, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and odd‐nylons stand out due to their high piezoelectric coefficients and thermal stability. However, achieving a piezoelectric phase with a preferred crystal orientation for optimal performance remains challenging, particularly under mild processing conditions. In this study, a vacuum‐assisted infiltration technique is introduced to fabricate PVDF‐infiltrated nylon‐11 (PVDFIPA11) aerogels with oriented polymer crystallites. Anisotropic nylon‐11 aerogels, featuring aligned polymer crystals, serve as templates for PVDF infiltration under vacuum. This process facilitates the formation of highly oriented β phase PVDF crystals alongside γ phase nylon‐11 crystals, yielding a fully self‐poled system without the need for external poling. A piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG) based on the PVDF IPA11 aerogel exhibits a high output voltage (peak‐to‐peak) of ≈45 V pp and a peak power density of 2.2 Wm⁻ 3 significantly outperforming pristine PVDF and nylon‐11 aerogels. Additionally, the PVDFIPA11 aerogel PENG is demonstrated as a self‐powered acoustic sensor, effectively distinguishing sound signals at varying pressure levels. This work provides a scalable and practical strategy for developing self‐poled piezoelectric polymer aerogels, paving the way for next‐generation energy‐harvesting devices and sensors.

Transfer‐Printed Wrinkled PVDF‐Based Tactile Sensor‐Nanogenerator Bundle for Hybrid Piezoelectric‐Triboelectric Potential Generation - Kamal Kumar Meena, Injamamul Arief, Anik Kumar Ghosh, André Knapp, Mirko Nitschke, Andreas Fery, Amit Das (Small, 2025)
Abstract Triboelectric sensors are known for their ultrahigh sensitivity and wide‐range detectability of tactile force/pressure, all while being self‐powered. However, the energy harvesting efficiency of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) is often limited by relatively low output power density, when compared to other state‐of‐the‐art microgenerators. To address this challenge and achieve high force/pressure detection while maintaining excellent tactile resolution, a hybrid nanogenerator is proposed that comprises of both triboelectric and piezoelectric components within a ferroelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer matrix. To enhance tactile sensitivity, a coupled transfer printed‐spin coating technique is introduced to imprint wrinkled silicone structuring with tunable periodicity and amplitude directly onto PVDF. The hybrid output voltage of the wrinkled PVDF‐based TENG utilizing the ferroelectric β phase of PVDF (FE‐TENG_5) shows an impressive ≈200% increase compared to p ristine FE‐TENG. The highest power density (0.9 mW cm −2 ) corresponds to FE‐TENG with the periodicity of 5 µm. Remarkably, the imprinted FE‐TENGs can detect even the slightest tactile force (<2 N), while the hybrid mechanism ensures a broad force sensing range, extending up to 100 N before saturation. This exceptional performance establishes the imprinted PVDF‐based FE‐TENG as a versatile tactile sensing platform for a range of cutting‐edge applications, particularly in electronic skin and next‐generation microelectronics.

Piezoelectric ion gated organic electrochemical transistors for efficient vibration sensing and on-site amplification - Linta Sohail, Sofia K. Drakopoulou, Tiago Costa, George D. Spyropoulos (npj Flexible Electronics, 2025)
Accurate detection of physiological vibrations is vital for monitoring health and enabling sensory feedback in bioelectronics. Current technologies often suffer from low signal-to-noise ratios (SNR), bulkiness, and the need for external amplification. Here, we introduce piezoelectric internal ion-gated organic electrochemical transistors (Piezo-IGTs), which efficiently convert mechanical vibrations into amplified electrical signals. These devices integrate laminated P(VDF-TrFE) microfiber films as the gate atop the transistor channel, generating voltage upon deformation to modulate mobile ions in the conducting polymer. Fabricated via sequential deposition and lamination, Piezo-IGTs achieve high fill factors and efficient on-site amplification, improving SNR over standalone piezoelectric films. They operate near 0 V gate voltage, enabling low-power performance. We validate their functionality in mechanomyography, speech recognition, and mechanocardiography using microscale Piezo-IGTs. This self-contained, flexible architecture demonstrates promise for integration into implantable and wearable systems, offering real-time, high-fidelity acquisition of bio-mechanical signals in next-generation health monitoring and neuroprosthetic applications.

Piezoelectric nanofiber–based intelligent hearing system - Jinke Chang, Thomas Maltby, Amirbahador Moineddini, Daqian Shi, Lei Wu, Jishizhan Chen, Jianshu Yu, Jeffrey Hung (Science Advances, 2025)
Hearing loss, affecting individuals of all ages, can impair education, social function, and quality of life. Current treatments, such as hearing aids and implants, aim to mitigate these effects but often fall short in addressing the critical issue of accurately pinpointing sound sources. We report an intelligent hearing system inspired by the human auditory system: asymmetric well-aligned piezoelectric nanofibers combined with neural networks to mimic natural auditory processes. Piezoelectric nanofibers with spirally varying lengths and directions transmit and convert acoustic sound into mechanoelectrical signals, mimicking the complex cochlear dynamics. These signals are then encoded by digital neural networks, enabling accurate sound direction recognition. This intelligent hearing system surpasses human directional hearing, accurately recognizing sound directions horizontally and vertically. The advancement represents a substantial stride toward next-generation artificial hearing, ha rmonizing transduction and perception with a nature-inspired design. It promises for applications in hearing aids, wearable devices, and implants, offering enhanced auditory experiences for those with hearing impairments.

Micromotion‐Driven “Mechanical‐Electrical‐Pharmaceutical Coupling” Bone‐Guiding Membrane Modulates Stress‐Concentrating Inflammation Under Diabetic Fractures - Junhao Sui, Yijin Hou, Chen Ding, Zhong Zheng, Mengchen Chen, Huiqi Yu, Lu Liu, Rong Liu (Advanced Materials, 2025)
The use of piezoelectric materials to convert micromechanical energy at the fracture site into electrical signals, thereby modulating stress-concentrated inflammation, has emerged as a promising treatment strategy for diabetic fractures. However, traditional bone-guiding membranes often face challenges in diabetic fracture repair due to their passive and imprecise drug release profiles. Herein, a piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fibrous membrane is fabricated through electrospinning and oxidative polymerization to load metformin (Met) into a polypyrrole (PPy) coating (Met-PF@PPy), creating a "mechanical-electrical-pharmaceutical coupling" system. In a micromotion mechanical environment, Met-PF@PPy converts mechanical energy into electrical signals, activating the electrochemical reduction of PPy and triggering stress-responsive Met release. The generated electrical signals suppress inflammation through M1-to-M2 macrophage polarization and simultaneously enhance osteogenesis . Simultaneously, Met inhibits the NF-κB pathway to reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines while activating the AMPK pathway to promote osteogenesis and angiogenesis. In a diabetic mouse femoral fracture model, Met-PF@PPy significantly reduces inflammatory markers, enhances vascularization, and increases bone mineral density and bone volume fraction by over 30%. This "force-electric-drug coupling" strategy provides an innovative approach for active regulation in diabetic fracture repair and offers a versatile platform for advancing piezoelectric materials in regenerative medicine.

Why not inorganic ferroelectrics: Harnessing the pyroelectric charges for triboelectric nanogenerators - Pengfei Zhao, Yue Huang, Pengfei Li, Niyorjyoti Sharma, Billy J. Murdoch, Andrew W. Rogers, Chia-Hsin Wang, Surbhi Sharma (Nano Energy, 2025)
Multifunctional, ferroelectric fluoropolymers are regarded as the de facto materials for triboelectric nanogenerators. However, their comparatively low polarisation, dielectric constants, and pyroelectric coefficients result in sub-optimal pyroelectric-triboelectric coupling. In contrast, inorganic ferroelectrics, such as lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 ), possess superior electro-physical properties yet remain underutilized in triboelectric applications. This study demonstrates the potential of LiNbO 3 crystals in coupled Pyroelectric-LiNbO 3 Triboelectric Nanogenerators (PL-TENGs) for harvesting waste, low-grade heat and temperature monitoring. Under a 0.11 K.s -1 temperature gradient, the PL-TENG exhibits a 330% increase in output voltage (~720 V p-p ) and a 700% rise in current (~15.2 µA) compared to fluoropolymer-based TENGs (~215 V p-p and ~1.3 µA). This performance advantage is sustained at higher temperatures, with voltage and current increasing by 285% and 395%, respectively, at 353 K compared to 313 K. High voltage Kelvin probe force microscopy reveals a rapid surface potential inversion (+72.6 V to -28.7 V) for a 1 K temperature change, corresponding to a pyroelectric coefficient of -53.4 µC.m −2 .K -1 , validated by in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The increased exchange of pyroelectric effect-induced screening charges amplifies the triboelectric activity, enhancing efficient low-grade heat sensitivity and harvesting. This work underscores the promise of inorganic ferroelectrics like LiNbO 3 for sustainable energy and sensor technologies.

Highly Efficient 3D‐Printed PVDF‐Based Triboelectric Nanogenerators Featuring Polymorphic Perovskite Nanofillers - Nurfatin Hafizah Zain Karimy, Hai Li, Hock Beng Lee, Devi Prashad Ojha, Manoj Mayaji Ovhal, Vasanthan Devaraj, Sooman Lim, Jae‐Wook Kang (Advanced Functional Materials, 2025)
Abstract The realization of optimal performance in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)‐based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) is fundamentally linked to the enhancement of the β ‐phase content of PVDF ( β ‐PVDF), which is crucial for improving dielectric properties and surface charge density. Among various strategies, the incorporation of semiconducting perovskite nanofillers has been particularly effective in achieving the desired β ‐PVDF phase for TENG applications. Herein, PVDF dielectric films are embedded with polymorphic formamidinium lead triiodide (FAPbI 3 ) perovskite nanofillers and fabricated using a cost‐effective 3D direct‐ink writing setup. The phase transformation of FAPbI 3 nanofillers within the PVDF matrix, in response to varying annealing temperatures, resulted in the formation of PVDF‐FAPbI 3 ( δ ) and PVDF‐FAPbI 3 ( α ) composite films, each exhibiting distinct morphology and dielectric characteristics. The incorporation of δ ‐FAPbI 3 nanofillers rendered the compos ite film porous and increased the β ‐PVDF content from ≈45% to ≈83%. By converting the δ ‐FAPbI 3 into the α ‐FAPbI 3 through post‐annealing, the composite film transitioned into a mesoporous structure with enhanced tribo‐positive properties. This modification substantially improved the output performance of the TENG, achieving a peak‐to‐peak voltage ( V p‐p ) of 392 Vand a power density of 2587 µW cm − 2 . This work highlights the significant impact of perovskite polymorphism on the performance of TENG devices.

Ultrasound‐Responsive Piezoelectric Membrane Promotes Osteoporotic Bone Regeneration via the “Two‐Way Regulation” Bone Homeostasis Strategy - Xinhui Wu, Tianlong Wang, Jinhui Zhao, Lei Zhang, Zhiqing Liu, Yixing Chen, Yiping Luo, Yaqi Liu (Advanced Science, 2025)
The repair of osteoporotic bone defects remains inadequately addressed, primarily due to a disruption in bone homeostasis, characterized by insufficient bone formation and excessive bone resorption. Current research either focuses on promoting bone formation or inhibiting bone resorption, however, the bone repair efficacy of these single-target therapeutic strategies is limited. Herein, a "two-way regulation" bone homeostasis strategy is proposed utilizing piezoelectric composite membranes (DAT/KS), capable of simultaneously regulating osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis, with high piezoelectric performance, good biocompatibility, and excellent degradability, to promote bone regeneration under osteoporotic conditions. The DAT/KS membrane under ultrasound (US) treatment enables the controlled modulation of piezoelectric stimulation and the release of saikosaponin D (SSD), which promotes osteogenic differentiation while simultaneously inhibiting osteoclast differentiation and function, t hereby effectively restoring bone homeostasis and enhancing osteoporotic bone repair. Mechanistic insights reveal the promotion of both canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), which determines their osteogenic differentiation fate, and the downregulation of the NF-κB signaling in bone marrow mononuclear macrophages (BMMs). This study presents optimized sono-piezoelectric biomaterials capable of bidirectionally regulating both osteogenic and osteoclastic differentiation, providing a new potential therapeutic approach for pathological bone injuries.

Multiscale Interconnected and Anisotropic Morphology Genetic Piezoceramic Skeleton Based Flexible Self‐Powered 3D Force Sensor - Chenhui Jiang, Yuan Li, Hao Yin, Yanting Li, Yi Bao, Qichao Li, Yiping Guo (Advanced Functional Materials, 2025)
Abstract Inner‐wall fibers of natural loofah exhibit a macroscopic anisotropic network and microscopic 3D interconnected porous structure. Such a unique multiscale interconnected structure is highly desired for enhancing the sensing capacities of piezoelectric sensors under multi‐modal stress, a big challenge for existing devices but crucial for next‐generation wearable electronics and human‐machine interaction. Herein, a morphology genetic piezoceramic skeleton composite sensor featuring the multiscale interconnected structure is presented, demonstrating excellent sensing capability for multidirectional stress. Simulation results indicate that the microscopic 3D interconnected porous structure improves stress transfer efficiency and the fully filled polymer prevents skeletons from collapsing under high stress, thereby endowing the device with a low detection limit (0.2 kPa), a broad sensing range (0.2 ‐ 325.6 kPa), and high sensitivity (241.12 mV kPa −1 ) in compression mode. Meanwhil e, the macroscopic anisotropic network structure displays high piezoelectric anisotropy and exceptional stretchability (≈45% strain), enabling simultaneous detection of deformation magnitude and direction in bending mode. The symmetrical and integrated design ensures stable piezoelectric output over 300 000 cycles in both modes. Furthermore, the novel sensor is successfully employed for the comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular health and the quantitative identification of the elastic modulus of objects, demonstrating enormous potential in health monitoring and robotic intelligent perception.

Strain‐Induced Polar Interfaces in Ferroelectric Polymer Nanocomposites - Chenyi Li, Hancheng Qin, Yao Zhou, Tiannan Yang, Xin Chen, Li Li, Ze Yuan, Ke Wang (Advanced Functional Materials, 2025)
Abstract The development of the all‐ trans chain conformation at polymer matrix‐filler interfaces is essential for enhancing the dielectric constant, electrocaloric effect, and electromechanical response in ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites, which have been extensively explored for a wide range of applications, including high‐energy‐density film capacitors, electrocaloric coolers, and electromechanical devices. However, the origin of the interfacial polar structure remains unclear. Here, using high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy combined with density functional theory calculations and molecular dynamics simulations, this study reveals that a distorted all‐ trans conformation of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) can be induced by the strain at the organic‐inorganic interfaces within the polymer composites. This study argues that the substantial difference in lattice parameters between the inorganic filler and the polymer matrix plays a crucial role in the formation of the interfacial strain. These results offer insights into the origin of the polar interfaces in ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites, which may enable the investigation of the mechanism of strain formation from a new perspective.

Smart Flexible Fabrics for Energy Storage, Self‐Heating, Energy Harvesting, and Self‐Powered Motion Sensing at Low Temperatures - Ping Yang, Xiangyu Chen, Xiwei Xu, Liyuan Yu, Jing Ge, Xiaoyu Yang, Jingshi Liu, Siyu Zhang (Advanced Functional Materials, 2025)
Abstract Energy harvesting and storage at extreme temperatures are significant challenges for flexible wearable devices. This study innovatively developed a dynamic‐bond‐cross–linked spinnable azopolymer‐based smart fabric (PAzo‐M/PVA, M = Mg, Ca, Zn) capable of photothermal energy storage, light‐induced self‐heating, mechanical energy harvesting, and self‐powered motion sensing under cold conditions, overcoming issues like low energy density and poor structural stability when azopolymers are combined with other fabrics via impregnation or spraying. PAzo‐Mg, operating without solvents, demonstrated high energy density (264.8 J g −1 ) and long‐term stability (14 days). Upon light excitation at −20 °C, this fabric achieved the highest temperature increase (9.3 °C) and sustained self‐heating for 45 minutes. A triboelectric nanogenerator based on this fabric achieved a maximum output power density of 3.43 W m −2 and demonstrated excellent durability (≈10 000 cycles) at −20 °C, with light‐i nduced trans/cis isomerization and dynamic bond formation/dissociation affected the electrical output, a phenomenon not previously reported. Moreover, a self‐powered motion sensor embedded with this fabric successfully detected subtle pulse variations during outdoor human activities at −18 to −21 °C. This smart fabric combines energy storage, self‐heating, and triboelectric power generation at low temperatures, providing a feasible solution for creating flexible wearable devices for complex environments.

Polyethyleneimine (PEI)-treated multifunctional textile triboelectric nanogenerator: A scalable and cost-effective solution for self-powered electronics, energy harvesting and physiological movement monitoring - Satyaranjan Bairagi, Sourav Banerjee, Chirantan Shee, Akshaya Kumar Aliyana, Rudra Mukherjee, Charchit Kumar, George K. Stylios, S. Wazed Ali (Nano Energy, 2025)
Cotton, due to its abundance, low cost, and extensive use in textile manufacturing, is a promising material for textile triboelectric nanogenerators (T-TENGs); however, its position in the neutral region of the triboelectric series results in lower triboelectric performance. This study addressed this limitation by treating cotton with polyethyleneimine (PEI) via scalable pad-dry method. The PEI treatment enhanced tribo-positivity and provided its additional benefits, like antibacterial (83.33 %) and antioxidant (74.2 %) properties. In this work, we explored PEI-treated cotton fabric for T-TENG devices aimed at energy harvesting, self-powered electronics, and physiological movement monitoring. The 10 % PEI-treated cotton T-TENG demonstrated a significant increase in electrical performance, with increments in output voltage and current by 3.4-fold (from ∼30 V to ∼103 V) and 3.27-fold (from ∼3.36 µA to ∼11 µA), respectively, under a contact pressure of 16 N (25.6 kPa) and a frequency of 8 Hz. Additionally, the device achieved a maximum power density of ∼1600 mW/m² at 10 MΩ resistance. The device's practical applications were demonstrated through its ability to charge capacitors of various capacitance values, power a series of more than 70 LEDs and operate off-the-shelf electronics like wristwatch, digital timer, and humidity sensor. Additionally, the T-TENG functioned as a pressure sensor, in monitoring joint movements when attached to body joints (e.g., wrist, elbow, shoulder, knee), offering applications in athlete motion tracking. This study provided a new pathway for developing flexible, cost-effective, and biocompatible T-TENGs, advancing their potential for energy harvesting and self-powered sensing in wearable technologies.

Advanced Triboelectric Materials for Contact Electrocatalytic Degradation of Pollutants - Feilong Dong, Bo Xu, Xiaoyan Ma, Tao Liu, Bin Luo, Xuedi Li, Shuang Song, Shuangxi Nie (Small, 2025)
Abstract Due to the increasing shortage of freshwater resources and energy, solar‐driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) technology has emerged as a key solution for utilizing solar energy to produce freshwater. However, certain volatile contaminants tend to evaporate along with water vapor and condense into the freshwater. This study combined contact‐electro‐catalysis (CEC) with photocatalysis using solar energy to enhance the degradation efficiency of pollutants. A FeOCl/TiO 2 /PVDF membrane based on photocatalysis and CEC is designed to evaluate the catalytic degradation performance using crystal violet (CV) as a model contaminant. The membrane exhibited a degradation rate of ≈95% for CV within 36 min. The degradation mechanism is further verified by intermediate identification, quenching experiments, and free radical detection. Under visible light, the CV degradation is driven by reactive radicals, such as hydroxyl radical and superoxide radical, which generated through dual electro n transfer processes (from water molecules and FeOCl/TiO 2 to PVDF). Additionally, the application of the droplet‐based triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is proposed with the FeOCl/TiO 2 /PVDF membrane in SDIE system to remove phenol in seawater desalination. This study expanded the applications of TENGs and provided strategy to solve the problem of pollutant accumulation in solar‐driven seawater desalination systems.

Ultrahigh-power-density flexible piezoelectric energy harvester based on freestanding ferroelectric oxide thin films - Zhongqi Ren, Shiqing Deng, Junda Shao, Yangyang Si, Chao Zhou, Jingjing Luo, Tao Wang, Jinyang Li (Nature Communications, 2025)
Flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators are emerging as a promising solution for powering next-generation flexible electronics by converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. However, traditional ferroelectric ceramics, despite their excellent piezoelectric properties, lack flexibility; while piezoelectric polymers, although highly flexible, have low piezoelectricity. The quest to develop materials that combine high piezoelectricity with exceptional flexibility has thus become a research focus. Herein, we present a breakthrough in this field with the fabrication of freestanding (111)-oriented PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 single crystalline thin films, which exhibit remarkable flexibility and a high converse piezoelectric coefficient (~585 pm/V). This is achieved through water-soluble sacrificial layer to relieve substrate clamping and controlling the crystal orientation to further enhance the piezoelectric response. Our nanogenerators, constructed using these freestanding nanoscale membranes , demonstrate a record-high output power density (~63.5 mW/cm3), excellent flexibility (with a strain tolerance >3.4%), and superior mechanical stability in cycling tests (>60,000 cycles). These advancements pave the way for high-performance, flexible electronic devices utilizing ferroelectric oxide thin films. The piezoelectricity of ferroelectric oxide films is limited by substrate clamping, and their rigidity hinders their applications in flexible electronics. Herein, authors report freestanding PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 nanoscale membranes with both high piezoelectricity and high flexibility.

Recent progress of polymer-based piezoelectric nanogenerators - Zhijing Wu, Xiang Ding, Xin Chen, Jianwen Chen, Xiaohua Chang, Zenhe Liu, Lixian Song, Jinrui Huang (Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials, 2025)
Flexible polymer-based piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) can convert the suffered pressure force into electrical signals (voltage and current), which can serve as high-performance pressure sensors and energy harvesting devices simultaneously. In recent years, measurable advancements have been made in designing flexible PENGs and more amazing application scenarios have been developed. In this review, we systematically summarized the common-used piezoelectric polymers, various strategies for designing PENGs, as well as different applications in pressure detection and energy harvesting. In addition, the current challenges of polymer-based PENGs were thoroughly discussed.

Amplifying Touch Using 3D ZnO Tetrapods for Tactile and Haptic Intelligence - Parth Pandit, Mahesh Y. Chougale, Deepak P. Dubal, Yogendra Kumar Mishra, Graham Kerr, Ajay K. Pandey (Small, 2025)
Advances in tactile and haptic intelligence are driven by development of advanced funtional materials capable of translating subtle physical interactions into precise electrical signals. This study presents an innovative approach to enhancing touch sensitivity by incorporating 3D Zinc Oxide (ZnO) tetrapods into a piezoelectric polymer matrix. The distinctive 3D architecture of the ZnO tetrapods significantly improves the mechanical-to-electrical conversion efficiency, thereby amplifying the material's ability to detect fine tactile forces. We optimized the loading of ZnO tetrapods within a Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix, resulting in a highly responsive composite material for tactile sensing. It exhibited exceptional performance in detecting minute pressure variations, with just 4 wt.% tetrapods in the polymer matrix. Output voltage and current of the composite matrix increased from 4 V, 0.5µA to 19 V, 2.5µA respectively when the concentration of the ZnO tetrapods is gradually i ncreased from 0-4 wt.% and decreased with further increase in tetrapod concentration. Comprehensive analysis and applications of this piezoelectrical materialconfirmed its robustness across a range of pressure conditions. The amplification of touch sensitivity and signal responsiveness underscores the potential of 3D ZnO tetrapods for tactile and haptic technologies.

Tenon‐and‐Mortise Structure‐Inspired MOF/PVDF Composites with Enhanced Piezocatalytic Performance via Dipole‐Engineering Strategy - Yifan Liu, Bo Liu, Shuteng Wang, Bei Li, Yuanwei Chen, Wei Ye, Shifang Luan, Lei Wang (Small, 2025)
Abstract Fabricating poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its composite ferroelectrics are essential for the development of next‐generation lightweight, portable, wearable, and implantable intelligent devices. However, integrating and maximizing spontaneous polarization and interfacial electromechanical conversion efficiency remain major challenges in the contemporary PVDF‐based composites field. Herein, inspired by the tenon‐and‐mortise structure associated with ancient Chinese architecture, an amino‐anchored metal–organic framework (MOF)/PVDF piezoelectric composite using a dipole‐engineering strategy to deliver enhanced piezocatalytic performance is constructed. Homogeneous and long‐range ordered hydrogen‐bond networks have been formed with the PVDF matrix after introducing periodically arranged amino anchors into the NH 2 ‐HU MOF. The NH 2 ‐HU 10wt% /PVDF composite exhibits a 40% greater β‐phase content and a remnant polarization value more than 550% higher than that of the bare PV DF fibers. These amino anchors synergistically enhance both the local electric field and collaborative dipole alignment resulting in a piezocatalytic bactericidal performance of 97.4% when irradiated under clinical ultrasound conditions. Moreover, the enhanced polarizability within the MOF/PVDF composite simultaneously improves its responsiveness to X‐rays via its periodic amino anchoring networks, thereby doubling CT imaging efficacy for implants at lower voltages. Integrating piezoelectric MOFs and polymer matrices through molecular design presents a viable approach for optimizing ferroelectric properties and expanding piezoelectric‐composite applications.

Double‐Sided Bifunctional Blue‐Green Light Photodetector Based on Liquid Crystalline Polymer for Light Positioning and Health Monitoring - Zhefeng Liu, Rui Wang, Jianing Han, Tianhao Chen, Zichao Deng, Yalan Sun, Yongbin Zhao, Aihua Chen (Advanced Functional Materials, 2025)
Abstract Wearable blue‐green photodetectors have attracted considerable attention in underwater and medical applications. However, semiconductor‐based photodetectors generally suffer from inevitable performance deterioration because of elastic modulus mismatch between rigid inorganic materials and polymer matrixes. Besides, most of the photodetectors reported so far can't be used on both sides and the multiple functionalizations can only be realized by stacking different types of devices. Herein, an intrinsically flexible and size‐customizable blue‐green photodetector has been fabricated based on well‐designed composite fabrics with oriented electrospun fibers, consisting of pseudo‐stilbene azobenzene‐containing cross–linked liquid crystalline polymers (NAzo‐CLCP) and piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride‐trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF‐TrFE)] nanogenerator. Taking advantage of the synergistic effect between liquid crystalline alignment and polymer networks, the NAzo‐CLCP devices construct a consecutive and efficient conversion of illuminance – internal stress – electric signal. A responsivity of 233 mV W −1 is achieved in voltage signals and a comparable response time of 0.1 s in current signals compared to the reported wearable semiconductor‐based photodetectors. Benefiting from the inherent flexibility and compatibility of the hydrophobic fabrics, the NAzo‐CLCP devices exhibit robust stabilities under cyclic irradiations, humidity and temperature variations, and especially slightly dynamic conditions, fulfilling basic requirements for wearable electronics. For practical applications, a photodetector array for light positioning based on blue light and a bracelet for real‐time health monitoring based on green light are developed. Profiting from the uniformity of the fabrics and the consistency of detection performance, the integrated bifunction of code transmission and health monitoring over a double‐sided one‐piece photodetector has been realized for the first time, pr oviding extensive potential for wearable electronics based on the NAzo‐CLCP fabrics.

Defect‐Engineered Biomimetic Piezoelectric Nanocomposites With Enhanced ROS Production, Macrophage Re‐polarization, and Ca 2+ Channel Activation for Therapy of MRSA‐Infected Wounds and Osteomyelitis - Shubham Roy, Shaohua Wang, Zia Ullah, Huiyao Hao, Renhao Xu, Jhilik Roy, Tingting Gong, Ikram Hasan (Small, 2025)
Abstract Antibiotic‐resistant bacteria often cause lethal infections in both the surficial and deep organs of humans. Failure of antibiotics in resistant infections leads to more effective alternative therapies, like spatiotemporally controllable piezodynamic therapy (PZDT) with deep penetration. Currently, PZDT demands further investigation for improved treatment outcomes and the corresponding therapeutic mechanisms. Herein, a nanocomposite cloaked is reported with a biomimetic coating of TLR‐upregulated macrophage membrane for targeted PZDT against MRSA‐induced skin wound infection and osteomyelitis, representing surficial and deep infection models, respectively. To boost the therapeutic efficacy, crystal defect engineering is applied by impregnating Fe 2+ into bismuth oxy‐iodide nanosheets to increase the crystal defects. This results in a significantly higher piezoelectric coefficient than in previous reports, contributing to an amplified reactive oxygen species generation for bact erial killing. More importantly, the notable piezoelectric effect not only re‐programs the macrophages into an anti‐inflammatory M2 phenotype for accelerating bacterial wound healing but also stimulates the opening of the piezo‐stimulated Ca 2+ channels and boosts the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts for expediting bone tissue repair in osteomyelitis model. Moreover, the Fe‐doping supplements T2‐magnetic resonance imaging for real‐time visualization of nanocomposite distribution. This theranostic system opens a new avenue for future treatment of drug‐resistant bacteria‐caused diseases.

Freestanding BaTiO3‐Au Vertically Aligned Nanocomposite toward Flexible Multi‐Sensing Platform - Benson Kunhung Tsai, Jialong Huang, You‐Jun Yu, Meng Hao Lee, Benjamin Stegman, Emiliano Flores, Patrick Zhang Tong, Ke Xu (Advanced Functional Materials, 2025)
Abstract Flexible and wearable sensors show enormous potential for personalized healthcare devices by real‐time monitoring of an individual's health. Typically, a single functional material is selected for one sensor to sense a particular physical signal while multiple materials will be selected for multi‐mode sensing. Vertically aligned nanocomposites (VANs) have recently demonstrated various material combinations and novel coupled multifunctionalities that are hard to achieve in any single‐phase material alone, including multiphase multiferroics, magneto‐optic coupling, and strong magnetic and optical anisotropy. Integrating these novel VANs into wearable sensors shows enormous potential in multi‐mode sensing owing to their multifunctional nature. In this work, the transfer of VANs onto polydimethylsiloxane as a novel flexible chemical and pressure sensor is demonstrated. For this demonstration, the classical BaTiO 3 ‐Au VAN with combined plasmonic and piezoelectric properties is use d to demonstrate a multi‐sensing mechanism. A thin water‐soluble buffer of Sr 3 Al 2 O 6 serves as a buffer layer for the epitaxial growth and transfer process. The electrical output based on the piezoelectric responses and identifying 4‐mercaptobenzoic acid by surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy reveal great potential for free‐standing VANs in a wearable multifunctional sensing platform.

Ultrahigh piezoelectric performances of (K,Na)NbO3 based ceramics enabled by structural flexibility and grain orientation - Lifeng Zhu, Dong Liu, Xiaoming Shi, Shiqing Deng, J. Liu, Liyu Wei, Ziqi Yang, Qi Wang (Nature Communications, 2025)
(K,Na)NbO3-based ceramics are deemed among the most promising lead-free piezoelectric materials, though their overall piezoelectric performance still lags behind the mainstream lead-containing counterparts. Here, we achieve an ultrahigh piezoelectric charge coefficient d33 ∼ 807 pC·N−1, along with a high longitudinal electromechanical coupling factor (k33 ∼ 88%) and Curie temperature (Tc ∼ 245 °C) in the (K,Na)(Nb1-xSbx)O3-Bi0.5Na0.5ZrO3-BiFeO3 (KNN-xSb) system through structural flexibility and grain orientation strategies. Phenomenological models, phase field simulations and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy reveal that the structural flexibility originates from the high Coulomb force between K+/Na+ ions and Sb ions in the KNN-xSb system, while the grain orientation promotes the displacement of B-site cations leveraging the engineered domain configuration. As a result of its excellent comprehensive piezoelectric properties, the textured KNN-5Sb/e poxy 1-3 piezoelectric composite is found to possess a broader bandwidth BW = 60% and higher amplitude output voltage than commercial PZT-5 and other KNN counterparts. These findings suggest that the textured KNN-5Sb ceramics could potentially replace current lead-based piezoceramics in transducer applications. The authors achieve piezoelectric coefficient d33 ∼ 807 pC·N−1, along with high k33 ∼ 88 % and Tc ∼ 245 °C in (K,Na)(Nb1-xSbx)O3-Bi0.5Na0.5ZrO3-BiFeO3 system through structural flexibility and grain orientation strategies.

Ultrahigh Energy Density in All‐Organic Composites Synergistically Tailored by PMMA and Molecular Semiconductor - Tao Wang, Mengyu Zhang, Mengyu Zhang, Rui Song, Zhenhao Fan, Ahmad Azmin Mohamad, Kaixin Song, Dawei Wang (Advanced Functional Materials, 2025)
Abstract The inherent limitations (particularly low discharged energy density, U d ≈2 J∙cm −3 ) of commercially available biaxially‐oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film capacitors significantly restrict their broader application in advanced energy storage systems. This study presents a novel approach to overcome this limitation through the development of all‐organic dielectric composite films. A ternary polymer blend matrix, comprising poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), and poly(vinylidene fluoride‐hexafluoropropylene) (P(VDF‐HFP)), is employed, with the incorporation of 1,4,5,8‐naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTCDA) molecular semiconductors as nanofillers. Systematic investigation reveals that controlled modulation of the PMMA content within the blend matrix effectively suppresss leakage current by reducing crystallinity, minimizing crystallite size, and stabilizing the γ ‐phase in the ferroelectric polymer matrix. Simultaneously, the introductio n of NTCDA nanofillers create a high density of deep electron traps, thereby impeding charge injection and enhancing charge carrier trapping within the composite film. The optimized composite film, incorporating 0.5 vol.% NTCDA and 40 wt.% PMMA within the PVDF/P(VDF‐HFP) matrix, demonstrates a substantial enhancement in both breakdown strength ( E b ) of 1054 MV∙m −1 and U d of 28.10 J∙cm −3 , representing a considerable improvement over conventional BOPP‐based capacitor. These findings offer a promising strategy for the design and fabrication of high‐performance all‐organic dielectric composite films for next‐generation energy storage applications.

Electro-spun nanofibers-based triboelectric nanogenerators in wearable electronics: status and perspectives - Deyin Tao, Ping Su, Aiping Chen, Da‐Wei Gu, Mustafa Eginligil, Wei Huang (npj Flexible Electronics, 2025)
Electro-Spun nanofibers (ESNs), with their design flexibility, tailorable morphologies, and high surface area, are well-favored as triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) materials for wearable electronics. Here, various aspects of ESNs-based wearable TENGs were examined. After introducing the most common TENG operating modes, an insightful overview of wearable TENG applications based on ESNs was presented. In this survey, a special attention is paid to wearable sensing, human-machine interaction, self-powered devices, and amplified energy harvesting. Efforts towards improving energy conversion efficiency, material durability, and compatibility with diverse wearable platforms were visited. Finally, a perspective based on particularly material aspect of ESNs is given, which could be insightful in tackling prevailing challenges and giving birth to new directions.

Ultra-high electrostriction and ferroelectricity in poly (vinylidene fluoride) by ‘printing of charge’ throughout the film - Ningyi Zhang, Xiaobing Dong, Shihui He, Zhao Liang, Weipeng Li, Qihao Qian, Chao Jiang (Nature Communications, 2025)
Abstract Electrostriction is an important electro-mechanical property in poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) films, which describes the proportional relation between the electro-stimulated deformation and the square of the electric field. Generally, traditional methods to improve the electrostriction of PVDF either sacrifice other crystalline-related key properties or only influence minimal regions around the surface. Here, we design a unique electret structure to fully exploit the benefits of internal crystal in PVDF films. Through the 3D printing of charged ink, we have obtained the best electrostrictive and ferroelectric properties among PVDF-based materials so far. The optimized electrostrictive coefficient M 33 (324 × 10 −18 m 2 V −2 ) is 10 4 times that of normal PVDF films, and the piezoelectric constant d 33 (298 pm V −1 ) is close to 10 times its traditional limit. The proposed 3D electret structure and the bottom-up approach to ‘print the charge’ open up a new way to design and adapt the electroactive polymers in smart devices and systems.

High Energy Storage Under the Regulation of Polymer Phase Structure - Yao Su, Zhaobo Liu, Dandan Yang, Wenyi Li, Rong Ma, Mustafa Al Samarai, Wen‐Xiong Zhang, Houbing Huang (Small, 2025)
Abstract Dielectric nanocomposites have garnered significant interest owing to their potential applications in energy storage. However, achieving high energy density ( U e ) and charge/discharge efficiency ( η ) remains a challenge in their fabrication. In this paper, core‐shell structured BaTiO 3 @Polyvinylpyrrolidone (BT@PVP) nanoparticles are prepared, and incorporated into a semi‐crystalline polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix. The BT@PVP/PVDF nanocomposite film loaded with 5 vol.% BT@PVP nanoparticles show a maximum U e of 18.39 J cm −3 at 458 MV m −1 , which is almost 4 and 9 times greater than those of BT/PVDF (5.14 J cm −3 at 303 MV m −1 ) and biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) (2 J cm −3 at 640 MV m −1 ), respectively. Notably, the highest charge/discharge efficiency of 79.80% has been achieved so far for ferroelectric inorganic‐filled PVDF composites. The reason why there are such excellent performances is mainly because of the interface coupling of inorganic–organic n anocomposite film and PVDF β phase transition with coating and extrusion of PVP molecules and large polarization of BT respectively. This research introduces a convenient and effective approach to designing high‐performance dielectric polymer nanocomposites.

Heterojunction Ferroelectric Materials Enhance Ion Transport and Fast Charging of Polymer Solid Electrolytes for Lithium Metal Batteries - Jiayao Shan, Rong Gu, Jinting Xu, Shuaiqi Gong, Shuainan Guo, Qunjie Xu, Penghui Shi, Yulin Min (Advanced Energy Materials, 2025)
Abstract Solid polymer electrolytes offer great promise for all‐solid‐state batteries, but their advancement is constrained due to the low ionic conductivity at ambient temperature and non‐uniform ion transport, which hampers fast‐charging capabilities. In this study, a ferroelectric heterojunction composite is incorporated into poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) based solid electrolytes to establish an interfacial electric field that enhances lithium salt dissociation and promotes uniform ion deposition. Electrospun 1D BaTiO 3 nanofibers serve as a long‐range organic/inorganic (polymer/filler) interface for ion transport, while MoSe 2 hydrothermally grown on BaTiO 3 forms Li 2 Se‐rich high‐speed ion conductors. The piezoelectric effect of the ferroelectric material helps suppress lithium dendrite growth by reversing internal charges and reducing local overpotentials. Consequently, the PVBM electrolyte achieves a substantia ionic conductivity of 6.5 × 10 −4 S cm −1 and a Li‐ion transfe rence number of 0.61 at 25 °C. The LiFePO 4 /PVBM/Li solid‐state batteries demonstrate an initial discharge capacity of 146 mAh g −1 at 1 C, with a capacity preservation of 80.2% upon completion of 1200 cycles, and an initial discharge capacity of 110.7 mAh g −1 at 5 C. These findings highlight the prospect of ferroelectric ceramic fillers to significantly improve ion transport and fast‐charging performance in polymer electrolytes.

A High‐Sensitivity, Broadband (1A,1B)‐3 Single‐Crystal Composite Ultrasonic Transducer - Lei Yu, Ziyan Gao, Guohong Gan, Wei Bai, Yang Wei, Bing Wang, Xiaoting Yuan, Zewei Hou (Advanced Functional Materials, 2025)
Abstract Piezocomposite ultrasonic transducers (PUTs) are extensively used in diverse technological fields, however, PUTs based on conventional 1–3 piezocomposite containing only one type of piezo pillars have met a bottleneck in further performance enhancement. Herein, based on the [011]‐oriented relaxor ferroelectric Pb(In 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 ‐Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 ‐PbTiO 3 (PIN‐PMN‐PT) crystal, a novel (1 A ,1 B )‐3 piezocomposite structure containing two types of single‐crystal pillars‐ high d 33 , k t pillars with square cross‐section (termed as 1 A ) and high dhgh pillars with rectangular cross‐section (termed as 1 B ), alternately arranging in epoxy resin and forming a 5 × 9 array are reported. The combination effect and synergistic action of two different piezo‐pillars in the piezocomposite notably broaden the working bandwidth, improve the sound sensitivity, and also produce a suppression effect to undesirable transverse vibration modes. Experimental results validate the performan ce enhancements of (1 A ,1 B )‐3 composite‐based PUT: the increases in –3 dB transmitting, receiving bandwidth, and receiving sensitivity are 71.4%, 28.6%, and 26.6%, respectively, in comparison to conventional 13 single‐crystal composite‐based PUT. Moreover, its hydrostatic figure of merit (HFOM) dhgh (=4084.9 × 10 −15 m 2 N −1 ) is 177.3% higher than that of commercial single crystal 13 piezocomposites. The proposed design strategy represents a promising development direction of next‐generation bandwidth and high‐sensitivity ultrasonic transducers.

Emergence of ferroelectricity in Sn-based perovskite semiconductor films by iminazole molecular reconfiguration - Yü Liu, Shuzhang Yang, Lina Hua, Xiaomin Yang, Enlong Li, Jincheng Wen, Yanqiu Wu, Liping Zhu (Nature Communications, 2025)
Abstract Ferroelectric semiconductors have the advantages of switchable polarization ferroelectric field regulation and semiconductor transport characteristics, which are highly promising in ferroelectric transistors and nonvolatile memory. However, it is difficult to prepare a Sn-based perovskite film with both robust ferroelectric and semiconductor properties. Here, by doping with 2-methylbenzimidazole, Sn-based perovskite [93.3 mol% (FA 0.86 Cs 0.14 )SnI 3 and 6.7 mol% PEA 2 SnI 4 ] semiconductor films are transformed into ferroelectric semiconductor films, owing to molecular reconfiguration. The reconfigured ferroelectric semiconductors exhibit a high remanent polarization ( P r ) of 23.2 μC/cm 2 . The emergence of ferroelectricity can be ascribed to the hydrogen bond enhancement after imidazole molecular doping, and then the spatial symmetry breaks causing the positive and negative charge centers to become non-coincident. Remarkably, the transistors based on perovskite ferroelectr ic semiconductors have a low subthreshold swing of 67 mv/dec, which further substantiates the superiority of introducing ferroelectricity. This work has developed a method to realize Sn-based ferroelectric semiconductor films for electronic device applications.

Porous PVDF-Based Piezoelectric Films Applied in Human Motion Detection Exhibit Excellent Piezoelectric Properties - Wei, Tianrui; Zhu, Zhijia; Hu, Chunyan; Zheng, Jian; Liu, Baojiang (JOURNAL OF ELECTRONIC MATERIALS, 2025)
In recent years, the exploration of ways to enhance flexible piezoelectric sensors through the use of nanofillers and electrospinning has garnered significant attention. This paper presents the development of lead-free flexible piezoelectric sensors based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN), augmented with bismuth chloride to further promote the formation of the PVDF beta-phase and enhance its conductivity. The sensor was fabricated via electrospinning, with KNN synthesized through a hydrothermal reaction at 180 degrees C. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction were employed to characterize the beta-phase content and crystallinity of the PVDF-based flexible piezoelectric sensors. The results revealed that the piezoelectric composite film containing 2 wt.% BiCl3 and 2 wt.% KNN exhibited the optimal piezoelectric phase, significantly enhancing its piezoelectric performance. Subsequently, four types of nanofiber-based piezoelectric sensors [PVDF, P VDF/KNN (KP), PVDF/BiCl3 (BP), and PVDF/BiCl3/KNN (BKP)] were analyzed to systematically explore the factors influencing the flexible piezoelectric sensors. It was observed that with the incorporation of fillers, the voltage output progressively increased from the original (V = 0.41 V, I = 5.90 nA) to BKP (V = 5.89 V, I = 54.94 nA). Ultimately, the developed BKP was applied to various parts of the human body, generating output voltages of 2.1 V, 3.6 V, 4 V, and 0.32 V at the elbow, knee, neck, and throat, respectively, when stretched at specific angles, thereby demonstrating its practical applicability.[Graphical Abstract].

Ultrahigh piezoelectric coefficient of poly(vinylidene fluoride) achieved via electric-poling-induced partial γ-β phase transition - Zhu, Hanqi; Li, Haipeng; Song, Haoying; Liang, Jiameng; Zhao, Wenpeng; Wang, Shaojuan; Hu, Jian; Xin, Rui; Zhang, Hao; Sun, Xiaoli; Yan, Shouke (POLYMER, 2025)
Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) with the best piezoelectric property among polymers has great potential applications in many fields. The low performance with a |d(33)| < 30 pC/N limits, however, its application. Therefore, it is of great significance and importance to improve its piezoelectric property. We have realized the creation of order-to-disorder-to-order transition regions through partial gamma-beta solid-phase transition via electric poling, which endows the PVDF film a morphotropic phase boundary like behavior and thus enhances the piezoelectricity of PVDF tremendously. As a result, an ultrahigh piezoelectric coefficient of |d(33)| = 69.9 p.m./V has been achieved, which is to our best knowledge the state-of-the-art largest |d(33)| for randomly oriented PVDF homopolymer films. This paves a simple way for fabricating high performance piezoelectric PVDF homopolymers.

Cooling Rate Effects on Morphological, Optical, and Piezoelectric Properties of Melt-Recrystallized PVDF-TrFE Thin Films - Shrestha, Milan; Sreeram, Abhinay; Bin Syed Ismail Alsagoff, Syed Ikhwan; Renaud, Michael; Sankaralingam, Maharaja; Depari, Leonardus; Ng, Zhi Kai; Shivakumar, Ranjana; Teo, Edwin Hang Tong (ACS OMEGA, 2025)
Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and its copolymers have recently garnered significant attention for their applications in sensors, actuators, and energy-harvesting devices due to their strong piezoelectric properties, flexibility, chemical resistance, ease of processing, and optical transparency. Consequently, PVDF and its copolymers are increasingly utilized as optical piezoelectric elements in consumer electronics, human-machine interfaces (HMI), and wearable sensors and actuators. Among these materials, the copolymer PVDF-TrFE (polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) is particularly notable for its superior piezoelectric properties, ferroelectric stability, and thermal stability. PVDF-TrFE thin films are predominantly produced through solution casting or doctor-blading methods, followed by annealing to enhance their piezoelectric properties. However, the impact of annealing that involves melt-recrystallization and cooling rates on the piezoelectric, optical, and mechanical propert ies remains inadequately understood. This study explores the doctor-blading process of PVDF-TrFE using a PVDF-TrFE, Dimethylformamide (DMF), and acetone-based solution, followed by annealing above its melting temperature and cooling at varying rates. PVDF-TrFE films annealed and cooled at slower rates (1-2 degrees C/min) demonstrated a higher beta-phase content but exhibited haziness and poor optical transparency. In contrast, films rapidly cooled by immersion in water displayed a lower beta-phase content but maintained high transparency. A comprehensive analysis of the surface properties of these films, coupled with a correlation of surface roughness with a light scattering model, indicated that the optical transparency of both films was predominantly influenced by large micrometer-scale surface roughness. These findings could provide valuable insights into developing surface treatment processes to optimize both optical and piezoelectric properties in PVDF-TrFE thin films.

Piezoelectric properties of PVDF and green synthesized metal oxide nanocomposite thin films - Kumar, Dinesh; Kumar, Pawan; Borah, Neelakshi Niti Kachari; Siddhartha; Singh, Manveer; Singh, Udaibir (INDIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS, 2025)
In this investigation, novel PVDF-metal oxide (MO) nanocomposite-based systems were meticulously developed and thoroughly characterised. Employing an eco-friendly green synthesis process, a polymer-metal oxide nanocomposite system was successfully constructed using two distinct nanoparticles. The integration of nanocomposite systems was accomplished using the versatile sol-gel technology, and an innovative spin coating method was utilised to create the nanocomposite thin films without requiring an electrical field or a post-processing poling step. The characterisation encompassing morphology, structural, electrical, and piezoelectric performance was conducted. Notably, all PVDF/MO nanocomposite thin films surpassed the individual PVDF thin film in piezoelectric performance, demonstrating their exceptional potential. Among them, the PVDF nanocomposite doped with ZnO and TiO2 exhibited the most promising and superior piezoelectric performance. The outstanding piezoelectric capabilities d isplayed by The PVDF/MO nanocomposite systems offer remarkable potential for their utilization as an innovative energy source in nanogenerators, making them an enthralling option for future applications.

Significantly Enhanced Piezoelectricity of Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride) via Orienting Nanobound State Ions - Ye, Zhiwei; Yi, Juan; Zhang, Yibo; Xiong, Chuanxi (ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES, 2025)
Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) demonstrates great potential for applications in flexible sensing and energy harvesting but the piezoelectric coefficient is less than 30 pm V-1 even with the full beta phase. Herein, an all-organic composite of PVDF with ionic liquid (IL) is manufactured through stretching, constrained annealing, and polarization. The DFT and XPS indicate strong ionic dipole interactions between PVDF and IL, favoring the orientation and crystallization of PVDF. Surprisingly, the nanobound states ions achieve orientation in different physical fields, providing ionic dipole enhances the piezoelectricity of the composite films, confirmed by variable temperature dielectric properties, FTIR and XRD. An inverse piezoelectric coefficient of 51.8 pm V-1, obtained from PVDF containing 0.75 wt.% IL, improved by 116% compared to commercial PVDF (approximate to 24 pm V-1). This work presents a novel composite strategy for the fabrication of high piezoelectric flexible polymers.

Tailoring Piezoelectric Properties of ZnO-PVDF Nanocomposite for Intelligent Infrastructure Monitoring - Baidya, Debasmita (2025)

Supercritical Fluid Foaming of Self-Polarized β-PVDF Piezoelectric Foam with Tailored Cells for Advanced Energy Harvesting - Liu, Xingang; Li, Xi; Wei, Xingneng; Chen, Junyu; Li, Yijun; Zhang, Chuhong (ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, 2025)
Porous poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) attracts considerable attention for mechanical energy harvesting and self-powered systems owing to its exceptional electromechanical coupling capabilities. Supercritical carbon dioxide foaming (SCF) that features solvent-free and green nature is one of the most preferable approaches to construct controllably porous polymers. Nonetheless, the electroactive beta-phase of PVDF remains elusive during SCF due to its instability under an elevated temperature. Herein, we pioneer the use of ionic liquid (IL)-assisted SCF for the fabrication of self-polarized beta-PVDF piezoelectric foam with tailored cells. IL incorporation not only facilitates CO2 infusion but also catalyzes the formation and preservation of beta-phase crystals throughout the SCF process, culminating in a PVDF foam with an exceptionally high beta-phase content (98%). Furthermore, the constructed honeycomb-like pore can effectively absorb external forces and significantly amplify the com pressive strain, substantially enhancing the piezoelectric output of the PVDF foam. Impressively, PVDF foam with circumferential pore delivers a maximum piezoelectric output of 19.1 V, setting a new benchmark for SCF fabricated PVDF-based foam PEH. This advanced piezoelectric PVDF foam demonstrates significant potential as a flexible sensor for real-time monitoring of human foot pressure, highlighting its utility in adaptive sensing applications.

Enhanced vibration detection with rGO-doped PAN/PVDF molecularly blended nanofibers: Preparation and characterization of the nanofibrous flexible piezoelectric vibration sensing elements - Yoruk, Ayse Bostanci; Aykut, Yakup; Eren, Recep; Oz, Yahya (SENSORS AND ACTUATORS A-PHYSICAL, 2025)
In this study, the reduction process of both GO and GO-doped nanofibers was carried out via the chemical reduction method by using L-ascorbic acid (LAA) and sodium borohydride (SB). GO and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) doped polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and PAN/PVDF nanofiber surfaces were produced by the electrospinning method. Nanofiber-reinforced flexible piezoelectric vibration sensing elements with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix were produced from all sample combinations. Piezoelectric vibration sensing element analysis of each sample group was performed. It has been shown that reducing graphene oxide while inside nanofiber surfaces effectively increases the piezoelectric performance of the sensing element. It was observed that when PAN and PVDF were molecularly blended and used together in nanofibers, the output voltage increased significantly by supporting and strengthening each other's piezoelectric properties with the synergistic piezoelectric effect catalyzed by GO addition and a subsequent reduction process. This effect was highest with 1.98 V for the PAN/PVDF blend, where incorporated GO was reduced by 50 mM SB (PAN/PVDF/ GO)50SB. According to the Raman results, the lowest intensity ratio of the D and G band (ID/IG) among the sample group containing PAN/PVDF/GO was 0.992 for the (PAN/PVDF/GO)50SB sample. Correspondingly, the maximum reduction was also in this sample. XPS results showed that C/O ratios were 16.35 and 43.21, respectively, for PAN/PVDF/GO nanofibers that were reduced separately with LAA and SB. Thus, SB provided a better reduction in the removal of oxygen functional groups. The developed flexible piezoelectric vibration sensing element can be used for the detection of dynamic loads on frames of an aircraft or in developing wearable technologies for pilots.

Scale production of PVDF-based films with enhanced electrical output performance based on orientation arrangement of BNNS - Wang, Tingting; Zhang, Chao (CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL, 2025)
Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based piezoelectric films have garnered significant attention due to their exceptional piezoelectric performance and remarkable flexibility, positioning them as ideal candidates for various advanced applications including sensing systems, energy harvesting devices, microdrive technologies, and related fields. To meet the requirements of practical implementations, these films must maintain not only high but also stable piezoelectric coefficients under operational conditions. This study presents a scalable extrusion-casting approach to fabricate PVDF composite films by incorporating boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) into PVDF/lead zirconate titanate (PZT) binary systems. The extrusion process induces directional BNNS alignment through shear forces, significantly enhancing the temperature stability of breakdown strength (Eb). Notably, PVDF/PZT@UP/BNNS films with 5 wt% BNNS retain 80.1 % of their room-temperature Eb at 80 degrees C, a substantial improvement ov er pure PVDF (39.6 %) and PVDF/PZT@UP (62.2 %). We systematically analyze this enhancement through molecular chain mobility, leakage current, electric tree growth, and thermal conductivity mechanisms. Furthermore, we characterize the piezoelectric and electrostrictive performance of these composites. The maximum d33 can reach 28 pC/N, the output voltage and current can reach 3.85 V and 0.82 mu A, respectively. This work establishes that extrusion-cast PVDF films maintain exceptional stability in variabletemperature environments, paving the way for large-scale production of advanced piezoelectric sensors.

Enhancing the Piezoelectricity of PVDF-BaTiO3 Nanofibers by Incorporation of ZnO Nanoparticles Fabricated Via Two-Way Electrospinning Technique - Zakeri, M. Fakhr; Khodaei, M. (JOURNAL OF CLUSTER SCIENCE, 2025)
This study aimed to fabricate lead-free PVDF-BaTiO3 + ZnO and PVDF-BaTiO3/PVDF-ZnO electrospun nanofibers to enhance the piezoelectric properties of PVDF-BaTiO3 nanofibers through the incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles and PVDF-ZnO nanofibers. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) was utilized to examine the morphology, size, and formation of the nanofibers, revealing well-formed structures with a reduced average diameter. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was conducted to analyze and compare the content of beta-phase in the nanofibers, indicating a higher beta-phase content in both PVDF-BaTiO3 + ZnO and PVDF-BaTiO3/PVDF-ZnO electrospun nanofibers compared to PVDF-BaTiO3 electrospun nanofibers alone. The piezoelectric performance, measured as an output voltage generated by the nanofibers under applied pressure using a custom device, demonstrated improved results when ZnO nanoparticles and PVDF-ZnO nanofibers were incorporated into the structure. The findings of this investigation suggest that the addition of ZnO nanoparticles and PVDF-ZnO nanofibers into PVDF-BaTiO3 nanofibers leads to better piezoelectric composites, making them suitable for applications in energy harvesting and wearable electronic devices.

New Quantum Mechanics Based Force Field for Describing Dynamics and Piezoelectric Properties for Various Phases of Poly(vinylidene) Fluoride Polymer - Vijayakumar, Vigila N.; Das, Tridip; Musgrave III, Charles; Jaramillo-Botero, Andres; Goddard III, William A.; Bedoui, Fahmi (JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C, 2025)
Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composites have emerged as materials of great interest for many applications due to their diverse piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and mechanical properties. To enable studies on PVDF and its modifications for new applications as sensors and actuators, we developed a new force field (PVDF-FF) that accurately predicts the elastic, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties of the four experimentally characterized phases of PVDF. The PVDF-FF was derived by fitting the force field parameters to the quantum mechanics structure and properties of the beta crystal form in such a way that it was also accurate for the other three phases. This PVDF-FF is based on the UFF universal force field, which is a simple generic force for the entire periodic table (up to Z = 103). Thus, it is compatible with combining PVDF with other materials, for example, in multifunctional applications for devices using PVDF as a piezoelectric switch, sensor, or actuator. This approach for obta ining a single UFF-based force field capable of describing the structural energetic, mechanical, dielectric, and piezoelectric performance of the alpha, beta, gamma, and delta phases of PVDF should be useful for developing other complex multifunctional materials.

Integrating PVDF-based piezoelectric nanogenerators with highly conductive carbon nanofibers for energy-harvesting applications - Ashwin Khadka, Edmund Samuel, Bhavana Joshi, Ali Aldalbahi, Govindasami Periyasami, Hae‐Seok Lee, Sam S. Yoon (Nano Energy, 2025)

Flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator as a self-charging piezo-supercapacitor for energy harvesting and storage application - Tupan Das, Sisir Tripathy, Amod Kumar, Manoranjan Kar (Nano Energy, 2025)

Flexible piezoelectric and hybrid nanogenerators based on single layered and stacked multilayered PVDF/CoFe2O4/KNaNbO3 composite electrospun nanofibers - C.S. Chitra Lekha, Sreelakshmi Moozhiyil Purushothaman, Shaik Ruksana Begum, Prabavathi Munirathinam, Arunkumar Chandrasekhar, Maïté Fernandes Tronco, Marc Ponçot, Bruno Améduri (Polymer, 2025)

Enhancing the electroactive β-phase of PVDF filaments via feedstock processing - ["Fawad Ali", "Imran Parvez", "Mohammad I. Albakri"] (Smart Materials and Structures, 2025)
Abstract Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a smart piezoelectric material with remarkable properties, offering vast potential for applications in areas such as energy harvesting, biomedical devices, and sensors. Among its various crystalline phases, the β -phase is the most electroactive, characterized by high dielectric properties. Recently, PVDF has been processed using 3D printing due to the technology’s ability to fabricate complex and intricate structures, along with advantages such as design flexibility, material efficiency, and rapid prototyping. While the β -phase content in PVDF is often enhanced through additives or post-processing, limited attention has been given to the role of feedstock preparation and extrusion parameters in phase enhancement. In this study, we investigated how feedstock preparation and extrusion parameters influence the β -phase content of PVDF, aiming to optimize its piezoelectric properties for 3D printing applications. PVDF filaments were produced usi

Ultra-precise sensing in PVDF piezoelectric nanogenerator with self-oriented nanocrystals via multi-level counter-chain relaxation strategy - Haoran Pei, Jiayu Tan, Zilin Peng, Haoqi Zhang, Shiping Song, Jiajun Guo, Hongchao Lu, Zhuo Zheng (Nano Energy, 2025)

Boosting piezoelectric response of PVDF via synergistic effect of dopamine-treated BaTiO3 and graphene for self-powered pressure sensor - Feifei Xin, Jinjun Deng, Wenlong Wang, Darui Wang, Zhenxian kou, Yao Yuan, Jilong Han, Jintian Chen (Sensors and Actuators A Physical, 2025)

Advancing Nanogenerators: The Role of 3D-Printed Nanocomposites in Energy Harvesting - ["Riyamol Kallikkoden Razack", "Kishor Kumar Sadasivuni"] (Polymers, 2025)
Nanogenerators have garnered significant scholarly interest as a groundbreaking approach to energy harvesting, encompassing applications in self-sustaining electronics, biomedical devices, and environmental monitoring. The rise of additive manufacturing has fundamentally transformed the production processes of nanocomposites, allowing for the detailed design and refinement of materials aimed at optimizing energy generation. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of 3D-printed nanocomposites in the context of nanogenerator applications. By employing layer-by-layer deposition, multi-material integration, and custom microstructural architectures, 3D-printed nanocomposites exhibit improved mechanical properties, superior energy conversion efficiency, and increased structural complexity when compared to their conventionally manufactured counterparts. Polymers, particularly those with inherent dielectric, piezoelectric, or triboelectric characteristics, serve as critical functional ma

Ultrasound-enhanced piezoelectric nanogenerators for wireless electrostimulation therapy in the wound healing - Xingxing Shi, Binying Peng, Xu Cai, Shuidong Zhang, Yingxin Chen (Nano Energy, 2025)

Ion dipole interaction and directional alignment enabled high piezoelectric property polyvinylidene fluoride for flexible electronics - ["Dinku Hazarika", "Jiaqi Lu", "Jianhui Wu", "Muhammad Naeem Shah", "Jie Li", "Kaihang Zhang", "Liangquan Xu", "Chuanrui Chen"] (npj Flexible Electronics, 2025)
Organic piezoelectric materials have attracted significant interest for applications in sensing, energy harvesting, and flexible electronics. However, its piezoelectric properties are yet to be improved. This study introduces a facile strategy to fabricate homogenous and dense polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) films with high piezoelectric performance via anhydrous CaCl 2 doping. The strong ion–dipole interaction between Ca 2+ and F atoms, along with directional dipole alignment under an electric field at elevated temperature, as verified by molecular dynamics simulations and material characterizations. This results in an impressive β -phase content of 92.78% and a piezoelectric coefficient of 29.26 pm/V. A piezoelectric device fabricated from this PVDF film delivers an output voltage exceeding 12 V under external pressure and maintains stability over 60,000 cycles. When integrated with an LC resonant circuit, it functions as a wireless sensor for real-time motion monitoring. This scalabl

Sustainable, biodegradable, flexible piezoelectric quaternary ammonium chitosan film pressure sensors for human motion detection and human-computer interaction - Zhaohua Liu, Yi Xue, Jian Yang, Wei Lin, Ivan S. Babichuk (Sensors and Actuators A Physical, 2025)

Assembling lamellar g-C3N4 on a hydrophobic PVDF film induced spatial electric field to construct a piezotronic effect-enhanced CeO2/g-C3N4/PVDF hybrid flexible film photocatalyst - Wenju Gu, Zheng Wang, Kiran Kumar Kondamareddy, Lihao Xie, Jingxuan Yang, Wingkei Ho, Ajit Khosla, Dingze Lu (Applied Materials Today, 2025)

Novel stable and biocompatible poly L-lactide/β-glycine films for in vivo bone repairing by using nanogenerator with high piezoelectricity - Xiuzi Che, Huiqing Fan, Jiahao Cao, Yongbo Fan, Yuxin Jia, Yidi Duan, Qinghua Guo, Yafei Feng (Nano Energy, 2025)

Liquid-based material extrusion of flexible silver electrodes onto electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) microfibers for soft piezoelectric pressure sensors: Towards fully three-dimensional printed functional materials - Jinsheng Fan, Shujia Xu, Brittany Newell, Jose García, Wenzhuo Wu, Robert A. Nawrocki (Nano Energy, 2025)

A Wearable and Highly Sensitive PVDF–TrFE–BaTiO3 Piezoelectric Sensor for Wireless Monitoring of Arterial Signal - ["Qinrong He", "Huxi Wang", "Jungang Zhang", "Negin Ghahremani Arekhloo", "Xenofon Karagiorgis", "Bhavani Prasad Yalagala", "Peter J. Skabara", "Hadi Heidari"] (ACS Applied Electronic Materials, 2025)
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide As wearable electronics advance, there is a growing need for flexible sensors with high sensitivity to detect even the slightest mechanical stimuli for real-time monitoring across various applications. This study presents a poly(vinylidene fluorideco -trifluoroethylene) (PVDF–TrFE)-based flexible piezoelectric sensor, developed by electrospinning a composite of PVDF–TrFE and barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ). The PVDF–TrFE with 3 wt % BaTiO 3, referred to as PVDF–TrFE (3 wt % BTO), exhibits higher crystallinity, increased β-phase content, and enhanced piezoelectric response, achieving a pressure sensitivity of 0.37 V/kPa within a pressure range of 6.4–16 kPa at a fixed frequency of 7 Hz. The flexible sensor developed is also characterized by its ability to detect lower pressure ranges with a linear pressure sensitivity of 0.18 V/kPa over a range of 6.4–22.4 kPa at a fixed frequency of 2 Hz. It also exhibits a frequency sensitivity of 0.7 V/Hz

Optimized output of piezoelectric energy harvesters with coaxial PVDF/PAN/CNT composite fibers - Yuanhui Li, Xinyue Yang, Chongxiao Yuan, Xiao Li, Xiang Liu, Huiling Guo, Huajun Sun (Sensors and Actuators A Physical, 2025)

ZnO/PVDF Nanogenerators with Hemisphere-Patterned PDMS for Enhanced Piezoelectric Performance - ["Kibum Song", "Keun‐Young Shin"] (Polymers, 2025)
In this study, we present a flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator based on a zinc oxide (ZnO)/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanocomposite electrospun onto a hemisphere-patterned PDMS substrate. The nanogenerator was fabricated by replicating a silicon mold with inverted hemispheres into PDMS, followed by direct electrospinning of ZnO-dispersed PVDF nanofibers. Varying the ZnO concentration from 0.6 to 1.4 wt% allowed us to evaluate its effect on structural, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties. The nanogenerator containing 0.8 wt% ZnO exhibited the thinnest fibers (371 nm), the highest β-phase fraction (85.6%), and the highest dielectric constant (35.8). As a result, it achieved the maximum output voltage of 7.30 V, with excellent signal consistency under an applied pressure of 5 N. Comparisons with pristine PVDFand ZnO/PVDF-only devices demonstrated the synergistic effect of ZnO loading and patterned PDMS on the enhancement of piezoelectric output. The hemisphere-patterned PDMS su

A skin-inspired multifunctional soft actuator based on PVDF/MXene with fast response, large deformation, and high stability - Chao Wang, De Gong, Deyuan Zhang, Jun Cai (Nano Energy, 2025)

Development of PVDF/AlN nanocomposites with enhanced thermal properties for piezoelectric applications - ["Akanksha Adaval", "Fazli Akram", "Ranjith Janardhana", "Zeynel Güler", "Nathan Jackson"] (Smart Materials and Structures, 2025)
Abstract Polymer–ceramic piezoelectric composites offer a promising solution for applications requiring flexible, lightweight materials with enhanced electromechanical properties. By combining the flexibility of polymers with piezoelectric ceramics, these composites can exhibit superior dielectric and piezoelectric behavior, making them ideal for use in sensors, actuators, and energy harvesting devices. In the present study, poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) was reinforced with 2–10 wt.% of aluminum nitride (AlN) nanoparticles to enhance its thermal and piezoelectric properties, which is important for integration with microelectromechanical systems manufacturing and applications. X-ray diffraction revealed the formation of polar-phase PVDF, with improved crystallinity due to the nucleating effect of AlN nanoparticles. Dielectric measurements, performed across various frequencies and temperatures, showed that AlN improved the thermal stability of PVDF, making it more suitable for use in

Synergistic Effects of MWCNT–MXene Nanohybrids on Dielectric and Ferroelectric Properties of PVDF/PMMA Blend Composites - ["Nitesh Kumar Nath", "Rajanikanta Parida", "B. N. Parida", "Nimai C. Nayak"] (ACS Applied Electronic Materials, 2025)
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The solution casting method is used to create flexible energy storage films composed of PVDF/PMMA-MWCNT–MXene hybrid nanocomposites (HNCs). The structural and morphological investigations demonstrate the composition of thin films. It also confirms the presence of the PVDF β-phase. The thermal investigation for the 15% nanohybrid composite revealed 15.35% crystallinity. The band gap energy values decreased from 3.07 to 2.12 eV as the concentration of the filler increased. The high dielectric constant results of 246 at 100 Hz for the 15 wt % composite were found to be an indication of increased interfacial polarization. The maximum energy density and power density at 15 wt % are 3.39 J/cm 3 and 11.82 MW/cm 3, respectively. The electrical conductivity increases from 10 –9 to 10 –3 S cm –1 for the 15 wt % composite at 100 Hz. An improved interface interaction between the MWCNT–MXene nanohybrids and PVDF macromolecular chains results in exc

Ultrasensitive piezoelectric-like film with designed cross-scale pores - ["Yifan Li", "Yifan Li", "Shuwen Zhang", "Honglin Gu", "Yanyu Li", "Yanyu Li", "Zhao Hu", "Shaoqi Huang"] (Science Advances, 2025)
Achieving efficient mechanical biosignal detection remains challenging due to these signals’ weak and dispersed nature. Piezoelectrets, known for their piezoelectric properties, offer promising potential for pressure sensors and flexible energy-harvesting devices. In this study, we present a piezoelectret film of polyvinylidene fluorideco -trifluoroethylene featuring cross-scale pores, sandwiched between two fluorinated ethylene propylene layers. The patterned pores enable the storage of substantial net charges, resulting in a dense network of oriented space charges. Under mechanical loadings, these charges undergo notably relative displacements and induce variations in local electric field, with an effective piezoelectric coefficient of up to 2.1 × 10 4 picocoulombs per newton. This sandwich-structured film allows for real-time monitoring of biosignals for minimal mechanical inputs. For example, a light finger touch generates charge pulses exceeding 100 V, whereas wrist pulses yield h

Self-reinforced piezoelectric chip for scaffold-free repair of critical-sized bone defects - ["Wei Li", "Youtian Mo", "Xie Shaohua", "Lei Fu", "Yan Ye", "Yilin Zhou", "Jianming Lai", "Wenliang Wang"] (Nature Communications, 2025)
The use of piezoelectric materials to treat critical-sized bone defects typically requires additional stimulation to generate their piezoelectric properties and the implantation of scaffolds to promote bone repair. Here we present a self-reinforced piezoelectric chip and demonstrate its efficacy in the treatment of critical-sized bone defects. Specifically, the chip is comprised of the third-generation semiconductor aluminum nitride (AlN) as a piezoelectric layer, molybdenum (Mo) electrodes, and a silicon substrate with an optimized internal cavity structure. All these components are confirmed to be non-cytotoxic. This design enables the chip to provide self-sustained and long-term electrical signals in response to physiological vibrations. After being implanted into a rabbit critical-sized femoral defect model, the chip creates a localized bioelectric microenvironment, thereby promoting vascularized bone repair within 4 weeks without using any scaffolds and additional tools. Moreover,

Construction of PVDF/BTO Fibers with High Piezoelectricity for Self-Powered Flexible Pressure Sensing - ["Zao Liu", "Hongjian Zhang"] (Polymers, 2025)
As demanded by the rapid development of wearable electronics, flexible pressure sensors have attracted more and more attention worldwide. However, the performance of pressure sensors based on the piezoelectric effect has not been qualified for practical application. In this work, we designed and prepared PVDF/BTO fibers by an electrospinning approach and constructed pressure sensors for various human motion detection purposes. The performance is dramatically enhanced due to the high piezoelectric coefficient of BTO nanoparticles and the utilization of PVDF matrix with a high β content. The optimized pressure sensor presents a high power density of 27.5 nW cm−2 at 10 N load stress and remains stable even after 3000 cycles. For human action application, the maximum output voltage is up to 20 V. The optimum β content of the PVDF matrix is up to 72.9%, which in turn contributes to the high energy-harvesting capability of the designed composites. The prepared PVDF/BTO composites show benign

Piezoelectric and Photoconductive Zinc Oxide–Wood Hybrids Obtained by Atomic Layer Deposition - ["Maximilian Ritter", "Krzysztof Maćkosz", "Jonas Garemark", "Ronny Kürsteiner", "Christopher H. Dreimol", "Ivo Utke", "Ingo Burgert", "Guido Panzarasa"] (ACS Nano, 2025)
The development of sustainable functional wood-based materials for advanced photonic, optical, and energy-harvesting applications is a topic of great priority and scientific interest. Owing to its inherent piezoactivity and photoconductivity, zinc oxide (ZnO) can be of help for all these applications. While previously used for wood-based piezoelectric nanogenerators, its use for enabling wood with photoconductive properties has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we introduce an innovative method to produce ZnO-wood hybrids based on atomic layer deposition (ALD), a technique so far underrepresented in the field of wood functionalization. By a studied combination of ALD, customized sample geometry, structure-retaining delignification, and careful selection of the drying method, we obtained a homogeneous functionalization of a bulk wood scaffold with layers of nanocrystalline ZnO. This approach allowed us to achieve control over the homogeneity, distribution, and coating thickness of the ox

3D printable piezoelectric composites manufactured via scalable and sustainable solvent-free multi-extrusion process - ["Gopi Kompelli", "Rolanas Daukševičius", "Arūnas Kleiva", "Roman Turczyn", "Katarzyna Krukiewicz"] (Smart Materials and Structures, 2025)
Abstract The study presents the development of 3D printable lead-free particulate piezocomposites by implementing a solvent-free multi-extrusion process (MEP) to address the scalability limitations and safety concerns of solvent-based processing commonly used with highly resilient fluoropolymer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and its copolymers (e.g. with hexafluoropropylene (HFP)). Composite filaments of PVDF-HFP with ferroelectric barium titanate (BTO) particles at 20, 40 and 60 wt% were manufactured for fused filament fabrication (FFF) by applying the melt-based process consisting of effectively composed multiple extrusion and granulation cycles. The results from TGA, DSC, FTIR, XRD, EDS-SEM and tensile tests indicate that physical and mechanical properties of the re-extruded and printed PVDF-HFP are largely preserved. The process ensures homogeneous BTO dispersion within the consistently printable piezocomposites, which demonstrate satisfactory levels of piezoresponse and flexibilit

Enhancing piezoelectricity of PVDF with organic dopants: From atomic-scale insights to advanced wearable devices - Guangshuai Han, Zhenhua Zeng, Zhihao Kong, Na Lü, Yining Feng (Nano Energy, 2025)

High-performance underwater energy harvesting using flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator based on electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride-LiNbO3 fibers - Athira Mankuni, Soney Varghese (Nano Energy, 2025)

Electrospun Silver-Modified PZT/PVDF Composites for High-Performance Piezoelectric Energy Harvester (Materials, 2025)
Piezoelectric materials based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) are widely regarded as ideal candidates for the fabrication of piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs). However, the relatively low power output of PVDF limits its widespread application and poses a significant challenge to the advancement of PEHs. To address this issue, we have designed a novel PEH using silver-modified lead zirconate titanate/PVDF (pPZT@Ag/PVDF), which achieves a remarkable balance between high output performance and long-term stability. The pPZT@60Ag/PVDF PEH generates a peak voltage of 14.33 V, which is about 2.6 times that of the pure lead zirconate titanate/PVDF (pPZT/PVDF) PEH. This enhancement is attributed to the confined structure within the PVDF fibers, as well as the enhancement in dipole orientation alignment and the local electric field induced by silver nanoparticle modification. Furthermore, the pPZT@60Ag/PVDF PEH demonstrates a peak power density of 0.58 µW/cm2, with negligible degradation in output voltage after 6000 bending cycles, and efficiently harvests mechanical energy from human movement. This study presents an effective method for fabricating high-performance PEHs, which is expected to advance the development of next-generation energy harvesting devices.

Ba 0.6 Sr 0.4 TiO 3 ferroelectric filler-reinforced poly(vinylidene fluoride) polymer electrolytes for dendrite-free solid-state Li metal batteries - ["Chen Yang", "Hongjian Zhang", "Mingtao Zhu", "Ping Li", "Hao Wu", "Qiushi Wang", "Yong Zhang"] (Sustainable Energy & Fuels, 2025)
Enhanced electrochemical performance of PVDF-based composite solid-state electrolytes with Ba 0.6 Sr 0.4 TiO 3 ferroelectric fillers for high-performance solid-state lithium batteries.

Flexible Pressure Sensors Based on Polyvinylidene Fluoride: A Critical Review - ["Ming Li", "Huaikuan Zang", "Jiawei Long", "Sijia Sun", "Yong Zhang"] (Materials, 2025)
With the advent of the intelligent era, flexible piezoelectric tactile sensors, as key components for sensing information and transmitting signals, have received worldwide attention. However, piezoelectric pressure sensors are still currently limited, which severely restricts their practical applications. Furthermore, the demonstrations conducted in labs are not accurate to real-world scenarios. Thus, there is an urgent need to further optimize the intrinsic piezoelectric performance and usage characteristics to meet application requirements. As a representative piezoelectric, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) exhibits significant advantages in terms of excellent flexibility, chemical stability, high electromechanical conversion, low cost, and appropriate acoustic impedance, which allow it to serve as the core matrix in flexible pressure sensors. This paper aims to summarize very recent progress in flexible piezoelectric sensors based on PVDF, including their composition modulation, struc ture optimization, and applications. Based on a comprehensive summary of recent representative studies, we propose rational perspectives and strategies regarding PVDF-based piezoelectric sensors and provide some new insights for the research and industrial communities.

Enhanced Energy Storage Capacity in NBT Micro-Flake Incorporated PVDF Composites - ["Tingwei Mei", "Mingtao Zhu", "Hongjian Zhang", "Yong Zhang"] (Polymers, 2025)
In recent years, dielectric films with a high energy-storage capacity have attracted significant attention due to their wide applications in the fields of renewable energy, electronic devices, and power systems. Their fundamental principle relies on the polarization and depolarization processes of dielectric materials under external electric fields to store and release electrical energy, featuring a high power density and high charge–discharge efficiency. In this study, sodium bismuth titanate (NBT) micro-flakes synthesized via a molten salt method were treated with hydrogen peroxide and subsequently blended with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix. An oriented tape-casting process was utilized to fabricate a dielectric thin film with enhanced energy storage capacity under a weakened electric field. Experimental results demonstrated that the introduction of modified NBT micro-flakes facilitated the interfacial interactions between the ceramic fillers and polymer matrix. Additionall y, chemical interactions between surface hydroxyl groups and fluorine atoms within PVDF promoted the phase transition from the α to the β phase. Consequently, the energy storage density of PVDF-NBT composite increased from 2.8 J cm−3 to 6.1 J cm−3, representing a 110% enhancement. This design strategy provides novel insights for material innovation and interfacial engineering, showcasing promising potential for next-generation power systems.

Elevation of piezo-photocatalytic activity and cyclic stability via flexible PVDF@Bi2MoO6/BiOBr composite foams - ["Huaikuan Zang", "Ming Liu", "Hongjian Zhang", "Yebin Lee", "Yong Zhang", "Chang Kyu Jeong"] (2025)
The direct conversion of solar energy into chemical energy via photocatalysis or photoelectrocatalysis has attracted considerable attention for sustainable energy development and environmental remediation. However, practical implementation remains limited due to low conversion efficiency, primarily caused by severe charge carrier recombination.

PVDF/carbon directional microchannels-enhanced ion diode-like hydrogel-based pressure sensors - Xiaoli Wen; Hongjian Zhang; Hongjian Zhang; three others (RG visible) (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025)

Flexible Pressure Sensor Based on Highly Oriented PVDF/ZnONRs@Ag Electrospun Fibers for Directional Sensing - ["Hongmei Ma", "Hongjian Zhang", "Mingtao Zhu", "Yong Zhang"] (ACS Sensors, 2025)
In recent years, research on piezoelectric pressure sensing has attracted worldwide attention, as eagerly demanded by the development of wearable electronics. However, the current piezoelectric pressure sensors are unable to detect forces along different bending directions with a high resolution, thus limiting their applications in some typical scenarios. To address this issue, this study designed a novel composite structure with ZnO nanorods loaded with Ag nanoparticles (ZnONRs@Ag) and then embedded in highly oriented polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fibers. Due to its unique orientation, the pressure sensor exhibits anisotropy, accurately identifying forces along distinct bending directions (such as perpendicular, parallel, or twisting). The optimized PVDF/ZnONRs@Ag device presents the peak power density of 308.1 nW cm –2 and a sensitivity as high as 0.52 V N –1 and remains stable after 7000 cycles at 1.4 Hz. The highly oriented piezoelectric devices are utilized to monitor various hum an movements and harvest energy from them. This research provides a viable method for manufacturing self-powered directional pressure sensors, contributing to the advancement of wearable technology and energy harvesting applications.

Controlled ion immigration in MXene-PVA composites for self-powered pressure sensor - ["Hongjian Zhang", "Yi Fang", "Wen Chen", "Yong Zhang"] (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025)
Demanded by the increasing popularity of human-machine interface, wearable electronics, robots, etc., the current mainstream pressure sensing technologies could not fully fulfill the accurate and in-time sensing requirement.

Bszt/Bnnss Incorporated Pvdf Composites for Dramatically Enhanced Electrocaloric Cooling Capability - Xiaofeng Liu; Mingtao Zhu; Hao Hu; two others (RG visible) (2025)

Flexible Pressure Sensor Arrays with High Sensitivity and High Density Based on Spinous Microstructures for Carved Patterns Recognition - Wenli Zhao, Kun Li, Zonglin Li, Weiwei Wang, Xiaofeng Yu, Tong Zhang, Xiaoniu Yang (Advanced Functional Materials, 2025)
Abstract Owing to the superior stimulus perception, tactile function of skin is always the desire of flexible pressure sensor array (FPSA). However, achieving sensor arrays with high sensitivity and high resolution for tactile recognition like skin still remains a challenge. In this paper, an FPSA with high sensitivity (10.50 kPa −1 ), high density (1134.63 cm −2 ), and sufficient sensing units (4096 units) is developed, which is one of the best results up to now. The spinous microstructures, transferring from the abrasive papers, endow the sensor array with high sensitivity. Additionally, the high density array with adequate sensing units contributes to achieving high spatial resolution for identifying various surface features. This high‐performance FPSA can obtain detailed pressure distribution for complex carved patterns. With the assistance of machine learning, the FPSA can realize precise tactile recognition, 98 .48% accuracy for 12 types of mahjong tiles, indicating a promising potential in an intelligent recognition system. It is worth noting that the relationship between surface microstructures and consistency is systematically investigated for the first time, which offers valuable insights for the preparation of high‐performance sensor arrays.

Triboelectric nanogenerator based on well-dispersed and oxide-free liquid metal-doped conductive hydrogel as self-powered wearable sensor for respiratory and thyroid cartilage signal monitoring - Qiannian Yang, Maolin Yu, Hongyi Zhang, Na Li, Jingjing Du, Lijian Xu, Jianxiong Xu (Nano Energy, 2025)

A flexible catheter-based sensor array for upper airway soft tissues pressure monitoring - Jiang Shang, Xiaoxiao Ma, Peikai Zou, Chenxiao Huang, Zhechen Lao, Junhan Wang, Tingshu Jiang, Yanzhe Fu, Jiebo Li, Shaoxing Zhang, Ruya Li, Yubo Fan (Nature Communications, 2025)
Abstract Obstructive sleep apnea is a globally prevalent concern with significant health impacts, especially when coupled with comorbidities. Accurate detection and localization of airway obstructions are crucial for effective diagnosis and treatment, which remains a challenge for traditional sleep monitoring methods. Here, we report a catheter-based flexible pressure sensor array that continuously monitors soft tissue pressure in the upper airway and facilitates at the millimeter level. The sensor’s design and versatile 3D femtosecond laser fabrication process enable adaptation to diverse materials and applications. In vitro testing demonstrates high sensitivity (38.1 Ω/mmHg) and excellent stability. The sensor array effectively monitors distributed airway pressure and accurately identifies obstructions in an obstructive sleep apnea animal model. In this work, we highlight the potential of this catheter-based sensor array for long-term, continuous upper airway pressure monitoring and its prospective applications in other medical devices for pressure measurement in human body cavities.

Flexible and sensitive pressure sensor with enhanced breathability for advanced wearable health monitoring - Xingguang Chen, Chenhao Wang, Wei Wei, Yinhua Liu, Shuzhi Sam Ge, Lianqun Zhou, Hui Kong (npj Flexible Electronics, 2025)

A dual-mode transparent flexible pressure sensor array for tactile sensing visualization - Chenyu Fang, Leilei Zhao, Wenwen Su, Binyu Qin, Peter Poechmueller (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025)

Ultrafast piezoresistive flexible pressure sensor for vibration and sound detection with a bandwidth over 20 kHz - Yangyang Yan, Jinzhi Zheng, Qingrong Zhang, Yanling Li, Guofu Li, Zhongkui Zhang, Ping Wang, Wenjun Wu, Jingyu Zhai, Yang Xu (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025)

Multifunctional flexible multilayer pressure sensor for pressure sensing, energy harvesting and versatile applications - Fu-Rui Teng, Song Sun, Si-Chen Tan, Ying-Jie Ma, Yue Huang, Lin Zhu, Di Wu, Ai-Dong Li (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025)

Mechanically durable superhydrophobic textile-based strain sensor based on synergistically coupled dual conductive networks for long-term underwater motion monitoring - Junchi Ma, Jipeng Cao, Yue Zhang, Haoyang Song, Yongquan Qing (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025)

Sequentially squeezed capacitive pressure sensor based on baguette-inspired porous ionic gel foams - Jian Cheng, Qingzheng Lei, Qibiao Yang, Lie Chen, Deyuan Lou, Qing Tao, Qianliang Li, Zhongsheng Zhai, Dun Liu (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025)

High-performance flexible porous pressure sensor based on carbon nanocoils modified reduced graphene oxide - Chunhong Mu, Ying Zhou, Yingzi Gu, Shengzhe Zhao (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025)

A flexible pressure sensor array for self-powered identity authentication during typing - Tongtong Zhang, Farid Manshaii, Chris R. Bowen, Maoyi Zhang, Weiqi Qian, Chaosheng Hu, Yanan Bai, Zhijie Huang, Ya Yang, Jun Chen (Science Advances, 2025)
The keyboard, a staple tool for information entry and human-machine interaction, faces demands for enhanced information security due to evolving internet technologies. This study introduces a self-powered flexible intelligent keyboard (SFIK) that harnesses the giant magnetoelastic effect to convert the mechanical pressure from key presses into electrical signals. The sensor boasts a wide sensing range (35 to 600 kPa) and a rapid response time (∼300 ms), allowing it to record and recognize individual keystroke dynamics. Integrated with machine learning, this keyboard enables identity authentication through both fixedand dynamic-text inputs. It accurately authenticates fixed passwords of eight characters with a 95.3% success rate and dynamic text from 14 sets of double keys with 100% accuracy. Given its capabilities, the SFIK offers promising applications in artificial intelligence, network security, and access control for computers and networks.

A Plantar Pressure Detection and Gait Analysis System Based on Flexible Triboelectric Pressure Sensor Array and Deep Learning - Hanyan Zhou, Yingying Gui, Guangqin Gu, Hengxian Ren, Wenhe Zhang, Zuliang Du, Gang Cheng (Small, 2025)
Abstract Gait detection is essential for the assessment of human health status and early diagnosis of diseases. The current gait analysis systems are bulky, limited in the scope of use, and cause interference with the movement of the measured person. Hence, it is necessary to develop a wearable gait detection system that is soft, breathable, lightweight, and self‐powered. Here, a plantar pressure sensor array and gait analysis system based on a flexible triboelectric pressure sensor (FTPS) array is developed. Soft, breathable, and wearable electrospinning nanofiber film with excellent triboelectric properties is used as the plantar pressure sensor, achieving a high sensitivity of 45.1 mV kPa −1 in the range of 40–200 kPa and 19.4 mV kPa −1 in the range of 200–400 kpa. 32 FTPSs are integrated into an intelligent insole, which has the characteristics of soft, easy production, good air permeability, long‐time stab ility, no external power supply, and etc. Based on the long short‐term memory artificial neural network deep learning model, the accuracy of gait judgment can reach 94.23%. This work provides a feasible solution for real‐time gait detection, which will have potential applications in human health assessment and early diagnosis of disease.

A Multifunctional MXene/PVA Hydrogel as a Continuous Ionic Thermoelectric Generator and a Strain/Temperature Sensor - Dezhuang Ji, Baosong Li, Dawei Zhang, Balamurugan Thirumal Raj, Moh'd Rezeq, Wesley Cantwell, Lianxi Zheng (Small, 2025)
Abstract This research reports a continuous output ionic thermoelectric ( i ‐TE) system based on MXene/PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) hydrogel, by utilizing thermo‐diffusion of Cu 2+ and Cl − ions and the redox reaction involving Cu/Cu 2+ at the electrode interfaces. The thermopower of the i ‐TE system can be independently tuned to a value of −3.13 mVK −1 by adjusting the ion diffusivity via MXene (Ti 3 C 2 T x ). The i ‐TE system demonstrates a rapid response time of less than 100 s, outperforming any other polyelectrolyte‐based system. Crucially, the i ‐TE system achieves continuous current output when equipped with copper electrodes, facilitated by the redox reaction involving Cu/Cu 2+ , and maintains stable long‐term outputs across a range of resistances from 1 kΩ to 1 MΩ. A three‐serial‐connected i ‐TE module demonstrates an output voltage of 26 mV with 6 °C temperature difference, confirming the feasibility of creating an array of i ‐TE devices for substantial energy output. Beyond energy harvesting, the MXene/PVA hydrogel serves as multifunctional strain/temperature sensors, capable of detecting mechanical strains via the piezoresistive effect and locating finger contact points via the ionic thermoelectric effect.

Floatable Liquid Metal Porous Hydrogel With Hydrogen Production for Flexible Sensor and Energy Harvesting - Jing Cui, Xiaoqi Yin, Kangning Sun, Jingzhong Duan, Liwen Tan, Xiankai Li (Small, 2025)
Abstract Liquid metal (LM) micro/nano droplets, when used as initiators, fillers, and cross‐linkers, are desirable for enhancing toughness, self‐healing, and sensing properties of LM hydrogels. Despite recent progress in designing multifunctional LM hydrogel, porous LM hydrogel is not widely reported. In this study, porous LM hydrogel is fabricated by sonicating bulk LM into carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) solution (> 2 wt.%). A high‐density polymeric network forms by a cross‐linked structure through metal ions (i.e., Ga 3+ ) produced from sonication with bifunctional groups (i.e., carboxyl and amino groups) of CMCS, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic interactions. Without additional initiators or cross‐linkers, LM hydrogels with different gelation times are obtained by adjusting the ratio of LM/CMCS, thereby enabling additive manufacturing. Owing to the reaction of gallium and its oxides with water, hydrogen gas is produced, lea ding to the formation of numerous pores within the hydrogel. The floatable hydrogel expand its volume to ≈1.5 times of its original size, reducing its density to float on water. This innovative LM hydrogel serves as flexible sensors with high sensitivity and as a solar‐thermal‐electrical generator by leveraging the LM's photo‐thermal conversion properties, which not only extends the fundamental knowledge of floatable LM hydrogels, but also demonstrate its potential for versatile applications.

Direct extraction of respiratory information from pulse waves using a finger-inspired flexible pressure sensor system - Xikuan Zhang, Jin Chai, Lingxiao Xu, Shixuan Mei, Xin Wang, Yunlong Zhao, Chenyang Xue, Yongjun Wang, Danfeng Cui, Zengxing Zhang, Haiyan Zhang, Libo Gao (Microsystems & Nanoengineering, 2025)

Multimodal response characteristics of convective liquid metal sensitive layers in flexible pressure sensor - Qing Wang, Zhou Zhou, Jizhang He, Liang Zhuo, Chenlin Zhu, Wenjie Qian, Wei Shi, Daoheng Sun (Microsystems & Nanoengineering, 2025)

Flexible calorimetric differential pressure sensor array integrated with a superhydrophobic surface for flight parameter estimation - Xin Ke, Yu Gao, Zheng Gong, Yunfan Li, Zihao Dong, Bowei Wan, Yurun Guo, Yonggang Jiang (Microsystems & Nanoengineering, 2025)

Flexible capacitive pressure sensor with high sensitivity and wide detection range applying solvent-exchanged porous lignin-cellulose hydrogel as the dielectric layer - Junyao Wang, Jianlang Shu, Huan Liu, Dingyi Ren, Jiafu Song, Tinggang Zhang, Zhida Li, Yuhan Huang, Yuyang Huang (International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2025)

Highly sensitive, breathable, and superhydrophobic dome structure nonwoven-based flexible pressure sensor utilizing machine learning for handwriting recognition - Jian Wang, Rui Zhang, Yi-Fei Wang, Di Ying, Yingying Zheng, Chaoxia Wang, Zhuanyong Zou (International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2025)

P(VDF-TrFE)/carbon black composite thin film based flexible piezoresistive pressure sensor with high sensitivity for low-pressure detection - Lavanya Muthusamy, Balaadithya Uppalapati, Manav Bava, Goutam Koley (Materials & Design, 2025)

The ultra-sensitive flexible pressure sensor based on hierarchical micro-wrinkle/pyramid structure for underwater perturbation monitoring - Runbin Cao, Fan Chang, Qihe Peng, Chunen Zhao, Yongyao Chen, Xu Zhu, Ning Ma, Xinyue Zhang (Composites Communications, 2025)

Intrinsically temperature-insensitive flexible pressure sensor based on polyvinyl chloride/carbon black composites - Xirui Guo, Ping Sun, Yao Xiao (Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices, 2025)

Ti3C2Tx MXene paper-based flexible wearable pressure sensor with wide pressure detection range for human motion detection - Chengtian Wei, Yisen Xu, Yang Hu, Qiaoqiao Zhang, Ning Wei, Wei Zeng, Ranyun Wu (Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2025)

Flexible tactile pressure sensor decorated with MXene-based composites for wearable electronics - Leini Wang, Pengyu Hu, Yisen Xu, Ning Wei, Yinsong Guo (Surfaces and Interfaces, 2025)

Microstructure-oriented high-sensitivity pressure sensor: a cross-linked ionic poly(urea-urethane) with mechanical robustness, elasticity, and ionic liquid affinitation - Yue Yao, Kexin Xu, Jingyi Liu, Dongsheng Li, Baoxin Ni, Guangcheng Zhang, Xuetao Shi (European Polymer Journal, 2025)

Flexible Pressure Sensor Array with Mortise‐and‐Tenon Interlocking Structure for Deep Learning‐Assisted Keyboard Input and Handwriting Recognition - Hao Wang, Yang Song, Feilu Wang, Lang Wu, Tongjie Liu, Renting Hu (Advanced Materials Technologies, 2025)
Abstract The integration of flexible sensors and deep learning has significantly advanced human‐machine interaction. However, developing high‐resolution and cost‐effective pressure sensor arrays (PSAs) remains a challenge. This study presents a PSA with a mortise‐and‐tenon interlocking structure, composed of four T‐shaped capacitive pressure sensors (TCPSs). The TCPS is fabricated using low‐cost commercial materials such as conductive polyurethane foam, polyester fabric, and polyimide film, and demonstrates region‐specific sensitivity, rapid response time, and excellent stability. When assembled into a mortise‐and‐tenon interlocking sensor array (MTIPSA), the spatial resolution improves to over 200% of that of conventional designs. The MTIPSA excels in flexible interaction applications: as a flexible keyboard, it achieves 99.33% accuracy in classifying 30 types of inputs (letters and punctuation) using a convolutional neural network (CNN), and as a writi ng pad, it recognizes digits (0–9) with 99.25% accuracy. By integrating a CNN with a long short‐term memory (LSTM) network enhanced by a self‐attention mechanism (SAM), the system achieves 99.5% accuracy in identifying individual users from handwriting samples. This work has broad application prospects in smart electronic skin and human–machine interaction.

Flexible sensor based on self-assembly of halloysite nanotubes in ionic liquids/thermoplastic polyurethane composites - Xiuqi Zhou, Jiajun Chen, Wenwu Zhang, Wenming Zhao, Qinghu Wang, Xiongqi Peng (Polymer Testing, 2025)

A flexible pressure sensor based on arrowroot starch/CNT bio-nanocomposite films for piezoelectric application - Abdul Habib, S.M. Sapuan, E.S. Zainudin, A. Atiqah (Biomass and Bioenergy, 2025)

Temperature-Dependent Fatigue Properties of MXene-Based Flexible Pressure Sensor with Hollow Structure - Hai-Jiao Men, Jian-Yao Song, Jian-Chang Li (ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2025)

Achieving superior energy storage performance for all-organic PVDF/MG crosslinked composite dielectric films through the cooperation of crosslinking and hydrogen bonding networks - Shuo Zheng, Shaoyuan Zhong, Xiaomeng Liu, Shulin Sun (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025)

Bifunctional characteristics of Vetiveria zizanioides incorporated PVDF polymer nanocomposite membrane for wastewater treatment and energy storage applications - R.C. Aashika, K. Sumi, J. Prasath, M. Arivanandhan (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025)

Covalently engineering novel sandwich-like rGO@POSS nanofillers for high-performance dielectric energy storage of PVDF film capacitor - Hui Liu, Mingming Ding, Xuecheng Chen, Zhaotian Ba, Zhewen Ma, Lili Ma, Xin Wen, Pingan Song, Qingquan Lei (Composites Science and Technology, 2025)

Highly flexible and electrochemically stable Mg-ion conducting gel polymer electrolyte based on PVdF-HFP/PMMA blend for application in magnesium batteries - Pratibha Kumari, S.A. Hashmi (Journal of Energy Storage, 2025)

Tailoring the microstructure of lead-free KNN piezoelectric ceramics for force-sensitive smart windows - Jinfeng Lin, Jianlin Peng, Xiangyu Huang, Qifa Lin, Peng Li, Xiao Wu, Zhen Yang (Microstructures, 2025)
Ferro/piezoelectric transparent materials with both excellent piezoelectricity and transparency are of great interest for irreplaceable applications in numerous fields such as photoacoustic imaging and transparent robots. Nevertheless, developing a lead-free ferroelectric ceramic that meets both distinct transparency and high piezoelectricity has always been challenging. Herein, the simple single Sm3+ doped KNN ferroelectric ceramics (x Sm) are designed to improve transparency and achieve reasonable piezoelectricity. The results indicate that although the donor doping effect of Sm3+ significantly improves the transparency by mainly causing grain refinement and densification improvement, it also enhances the relaxor behavior of KNN ceramics and weakens the piezoelectricity. Despite this, with proper Sm doping, reasonable piezoelectricity can still be achieved in the x Sm transparent ceramics without causing a significant decrease in Curie temperature. Ultimately, excellent compr ehensive performance was achieved in the 1.0 Sm ceramic (T ~65% at 900 nm, T C~395 °C, d 33~65 pC/N), competitively in the KNN-based transparent ceramics. In force sensitivity testing, the 1.0 Sm ceramic also exhibits prominent force response electrical output characteristics, which is expected to be applied in smart windows that require real-time pressure detection. This work furnishes a methodology for the fabrication of KNN-based transparent piezoceramics, while contemporaneously recommending innovative perspectives for broadening their range of applications.

A novel 3D analytical model and numerical study of bimorph piezoelectric actuators in d33 mode - A. Almusallam, M.A. Belaid (Results in Engineering, 2025)

Simultaneous enhancement of d33 and depolarization temperature of the morphotropic phase boundary composition of the Pb-free piezoceramic Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3–BaTiO3 - Getaw Abebe Tina, Rajeev Ranjan (Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 2025)

Lead‐Free Perovskites for Piezoelectric–Triboelectric Energy Harvesting and Sensing Applications: A Comprehensive Review - Sayyid Abdul Basith, Arunkumar Chandrasekhar, Shaikh Faruque Ali, A. Arockiarajan (Advanced Sustainable Systems, 2025)
Abstract The booming industry of wearable electronics, IoT devices, and self‐powered sensor networks is in critical need of sustainable and efficient mechanical energy harvesting devices. Among the new materials, lead‐free perovskites have garnered significant interest due to their potential to address the environmental and toxicity issues associated with traditional lead‐based systems, while offering good energy conversion and multifunctionality. This review discusses the state‐of‐the‐art of lead‐free perovskite materials in piezoelectric nanogenerators, triboelectric nanogenerators, as well as hybrid devices that use both of these working principles. Specific topics of interest cover material classes and synthesis routes, material properties and characterization, as well as energy harvester developments and their functionalization in various application fields. This review examines the device performance of various perovskite systems and identifies th e most effective materials and evaluates their suitability for flexible, stretchable, and wearable applications. Challenges such as stability over long periods of time, scalability in processing, and enhancement of performance are severely discussed with suggestions for future studies. The study highlights lead‐free perovskites as a game‐changer to fabricate green and next‐generation self‐powered energy devices.

Enhancing energy harvesting capabilities using lead-free, flexible piezoelectric poly (vinylidene fluoride) tapes - Amanda Melo, David Esteves, Ignacio Ezpeleta, Cintia Mateo-Mateo, Nelson Durães (Polymer Testing, 2025)

Enhanced sulfite activation via piezoelectric BaTiO3 for efficient antibiotic degradation - Yuhan Zhang, Zhiwei Yang, Wanlin Gan, Jing Zhang (Journal of Environmental Management, 2025)

Chloride-induced degradation in blended concrete systems: A comparative study under ideal and combined exposure conditions using embedded piezo sensors - Ramesh Gomasa, Visalakshi Talakokula, Sri Kalyana Rama Jyosyula, Tushar Bansal (Construction and Building Materials, 2025)

Piezo‐Photocatalytic Approach for Pollutant Removal Using PZT‐MgAl LDH‐GO Hierarchical Nanocomposites - Nguyen Le Minh Khoa, Yasser Vasseghian, Sang‐Woo Joo (Advanced Sustainable Systems, 2025)
Abstract Effective and recyclable water treatment technologies are crucial for practical heavy metal removal. Photocatalysis an improved oxidation process is widely used in energy production and environmental remediation. However, the reaction efficiency of photocatalysis is restricted by the rapid recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, and although it is promising under solar light illumination conditions, it remains challenging because of the seasonal variations, weather conditions, and diurnal cycles. Alternatively, piezo catalysis, transferring mechanical to chemical energy, is vital for environmental cleansing and energy regeneration. Therefore, lead zirconate titanate (PZT) with a MgAl layered double hydroxide and graphene oxide (GO) is prepared herein for efficient piezo‐photocatalytic. The proposed material PZT‐MgAl‐GO is used in combination with UV light and sonication to remove hazardous metallic Cr(VI) species. The reduction ef ficiencies of Cr(VI) increase in the order of PZT<MgAl‐GO<PZT‐MgAl‐GO. The Cr(VI) amount decreases by ≈99% through a process involving both sonication and UV light exposure. The main active species for the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) are assumed to be e − and •O 2 − radicals. With these advantages a high decomposition ratio, simple preparation method, and its use under UV light and sonication PZT‐MgAl‐GO is considered a potential material for removing heavy metals from wastewater.

Efficient Passive Cooling Over a Novel Bifunctional Polymer Bilayer Composite Simultaneously Possessing Radiative and Evaporative Cooling Properties - Qingxi Xin, Benchi Ma, Jiaying Ru, Yu Zhou, Dengwei Jing (Advanced Energy Materials, 2025)
Abstract Passive cooling technologies being free from additional energy consumption, offer significant advantages in reducing carbon emissions and mitigating global warming. However, radiative cooling has a thermodynamic limit, and evaporative cooling requires additional components, which restricts their large‐scale application, respectively. Herein, a radiative/evaporative bifunctional cooling bilayer is presented, featuring an upper layer composed of poly(vinylidene fluoride‐cohexafluoropropene) [P(VdF‐HFP)] integrated with a hygroscopic hydrogel lower layer [polyacrylamide (PAAm)/alginate‐CaCl 2 ]. High solar reflectance (0.916) and long‐wave infrared emittance (0.900) of the P(VdF‐HFP) combined with hydrogel evaporation enable a notable 15.4 °C temperature drop under 706.3 W·m −2 solar radiation. The bilayer is demonstrated to be effective under outdoor conditions for continuous three cloudy days, achieving an a verage temperature reduction ranging from 6.3 to 15.7 °C. Considering the low cost and simplicity of the preparation method, ease of large‐scale fabrication, and good cooling performance, this bilayer structure provides a promising strategy for the application of passive cooling.

Cellulose nanofiber/boron nitride/MXene ternary composite films with excellent thermal conductivity for high output triboelectric nanogenerators under high temperature - Jia-Qi Lang, Ce Li, Lei Chen, Qi Liu, Wei Wan, Hai-Yan Yang, Ming-Guo Ma (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025)

Flexible and multifunctional P(VDF-TrFE)/BT-BMT polymer composite films: Realizing high piezoelectric performance and electrocaloric effect - Indrani Coondoo, Vahideh B. Isfahani, Harvey Amorín, Igor Bdikin, João Carvalho, Cristina Pascual-González, Bruna M. Silva, João Oliveira, D. Pukazhselvan, Bernardo G. Almeida, Georgina Miranda (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025)

Geometric mismatch of chain lengths enhancing the electrocaloric effect in PVDF - Yibo Zhang, Shixian Zhang, Zhiwei Ye, Fukun Niu, Yuheng Fu, Hongmei Qin, Chuanxi Xiong, Quanling Yang, Qing Wang (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025)

SrTiO3 enhanced high thermal conductivity and emissivity PVDF composite films for radiative cooling - Yulong Qiao, Mengyang Wang, Hewei Ding, Jin Li, Junmei Zhang, Guiguang Qi, Xiongbo Yang, Xinyu Tan (Materials Today Physics, 2025)

High-performance radiative cooling PVDF-HFP film based on controllable porous structure - Mingkai Luo, Jiaxuan Liao, Xiongbang Wei, Songyu Jia, Ying Lin, Wenlong Liu, Lichun Zhou, Qiang Zou, Sizhe Wang (Progress in Organic Coatings, 2025)

Highly enhanced electrothermal properties of 001-textured Pb-free ferroelectric (Ba, Ca) (Ti, Zr, Sn)O3 for energy harvesting and solid-state cooling - S. Ullah, T. Pramanik, J. Kong, G.P. Zheng, Y. Li, A. Pramanick (Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 2025)

Dielectric, piezoelectric, ferroelectric, and electrocaloric properties of Ba, Sr-doped PZT - Magdalena Krupska-Klimczak, Sobhan Mohammadi Fathabad, Dariusz Kajewski, Rafał Sitko, Vladimir V. Shvartsman, Doru C. Lupascu, Irena Jankowska-Sumara (Ceramics International, 2025)

Constructing PVDF‐Based Polymer Electrolyte for Lithium Metal Batteries by Polymer‐Induced Phase Structure Adjustment Strategy - Yueshan Li, Weihao Yuan, Zhen Hu, Yibo Shen, Guangshun Wu, Fei Cong, X. Fu, Fei Lu, Yunling Li, Pengxiang Liu, Yudong Huang, Jun Li (Advanced Functional Materials, 2025)
Abstract The phase separation between solvents and polymers during the processing leads to the porous structure of PVDF electrolyte, resulting in uneven distribution of ion channels, accelerating the growth of lithium dendrites. Moreover, the various crystal structures of PVDF hinder the migration of Li + , setting obstacles for the improvement of ion conductivity. Here, an amorphous polymer system (BPE) with excellent lithium salt affinity is introduced into the PVDF electrolyte as a bridge to eliminate phase separation structures. The porous structure of PVDF electrolyte is densified by utilizing the amorphous properties of BPE and its affinity for PVDF and lithium salt, thus homogenizing the distribution of ion channels. Furthermore, BPE inhibited the crystallization of PVDF, improving the Li + conductivity of the polymer electrolyte. The obtained polymer electrolyte system (BPLE) has high ionic conductivity (1.6 × 10 −3 S cm −1 ) and Li + transference number (0.66) at room temperat ure. The LiFePO 4 ||Li cell assembled with BPLE‐1 achieved an initial capacity of 149 mAh g −1 and a capacity retention rate of 98% (1C, 500 cycles, RT). At a current density of 2C, the LiFePO 4 ||Li battery achieved a specific capacity of 142 mAh g −1 and the capacity retention rate exceeds 84% after 800 cycles.

High-energy and fast-charging lithium metal batteries enabled by tuning Li+-solvation via electron-withdrawing and lithiophobicity functionality - Guangzhao Zhang, Tong Zhang, Zhen Zhang, Ruilin He, Qingrong Wang, Shang‐Sen Chi, Yanming Cui, Meng Gu, Zhongbo Liu, Jian Chang, Chaoyang Wang, Kang Xu, Yonghong Deng (Nature Communications, 2025)
The solvent fluorination almost always improves electrochemical stability of electrolytes against both lithium anodes and high-voltage cathodes in lithium metal batteries. However, how exactly fluorination affects Li+-solvation and interphasial chemistries remains unclear, hindering rational design of electrolytes and interphases with both wide electrochemical stability window and fast ion transport kinetics that are required for energy-dense and fast-charging LMBs. Here we introduce the trifluoromethylation (-CF3) at one end of 1,2-dimethoxyethane and generate 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethane, which as a single solvent of electrolyte simultaneously meets energy-dense and fast-charging requirements when dissolving 2 M lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide. Beside the electron-withdrawing effect of -CF3, we find that its lithiophobic nature against Li+ significantly alters the solvation structures, which favors the formation of anion-dominated clusters that lead to superior interph asial chemistries in layered structure and fast Li+ transport kinetics. In such electrolyte, lithium metal batteries constructed with 50-μm-thin Li||high-loading-NMC811 in both coin and pouch cell configurations achieve >400 cycles under fast-charging condition, and >100 cycles in 14-Ah-level industrial pouch cell with a high energy density over 510 Wh kg−1 at cell-level. The electrochemical stability window and Li+ transport limit the energy-dense and fast-charging capability of lithium metal batteries. Here, authors report a trifluoride ether-based electrolyte to stabilize energy-dense lithium metal batteries under high current rates.

Metal-organic framework glass stabilizes high-voltage cathodes for efficient lithium-metal batteries - Lishun Bai, Yan Xu, Yue Liu, Danni Zhang, Shibin Zhang, Wujie Yang, Zhi Chang, Haoshen Zhou (Nature Communications, 2025)
The rapid evolution of portable electronics and electric vehicles necessitates batteries with high energy density, robust cycling stability, and fast charging capabilities. High-voltage cathodes, like LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM-811), promise enhanced energy density but are hampered by poor stability and sluggish lithium-ion diffusion in conventional electrolytes. We introduce a metal-organic framework (MOF) liquid-infusion technique to fully integrate MOF liquid into the grain boundaries of NCM-811, creating a thoroughly coated cathode with a thin, rigid MOF Glass layer. The surface electrically non-conductive MOF Glass layer with 2.9 Å pore windows facilitating Li-ion pre-desolvation and enabling highly aggregative electrolyte formation inside the Glass channels, suppressing solvated Li-ion co-insertion and solvent decomposition. While the inner Glass layer composes of Li-ion conducting components and enhancing fast Li-ion diffusion. This functional structure effectively shields the cat hode from particle cracking, CEI rupture, oxygen loss, and transition metal migration. As a result, Li | |Glass@NCM-811 cells demonstrate good rate capability and cycling stability even under high-charge rates and elevated voltages. Furthermore, we also achieve a 385 Wh kg-1 pouch-cell (19.579 g, for pouch-cell), showcasing the practical potential of this method. This straightforward and versatile strategy can be applied to other high-voltage cathodes like Li-rich manganese oxides and LiCoO2. Li-ion batteries based on high-voltage Ni-rich layered oxides are hampered by stability and ion diffusion issues. Here, authors develop a metal-organic-framework liquid-infusion technique to create a rigid glass layer on the oxide particles, improving both Li+ diffusion and battery stability.

Colloidal quantum dots for optoelectronics - Arjan J. Houtepen, Edward H. Sargent, Ivan Infante, Jonathan S. Owen, Philippe B. Green, Richard D. Schaller, Sara Bals, Stefan Zeiske, Thilo Stöferle, Zeger Hens (Nature Reviews Methods Primers, 2025)

Interface Engineering in Van der Waals Heterostructures: Enhancing Photodetector Efficiency through Structural and Functional Modifications - Waqas Ahmad, Jamal Kazmi, Muhammad Zubair Nawaz, Amine El Moutaouakil, Jinying Zhang, Yu. Yu. Illarionov, Zhiming Wang (Advanced Functional Materials, 2025)
Abstract 2D materials and their van der Waals (vdWs) heterostructures have shown great potential for developing promising applications in optoelectronics, especially for photodetector devices. However, to fully harness their capabilities, precise control over the interfaces between these 2D materials in vdWs heterostructures is pivotal. Interface engineering in vdWs heterostructures has emerged as a key approach in material science as it enables the fine‐tuning of the interlayer interactions, their band alignments, and it can control the charge transfer dynamics, ultimately enhancing the photodetector device performance. This review first highlights advanced figures of merit for evaluating photodetector performance and then provides an overview of the fundamentals of vdWs heterostructures, with a focus on their optoelectronic properties. The recent advancements in interface engineering, including surface passivation, defect engineering, and contact engineering, all of which contribute to improving the optical parameters in the photodetector device applications, are provided. New functionalities such as polarization detection and multi‐spectral imaging, which open up exciting possibilities in the domain of optoelectronics, are discussed. Lastly, we provide conclusions and future research directions, highlighting the integration of machine learning techniques for optimizing photodetection technology. Despite challenges related to interface quality, scalability, and long‐term stability, interface engineering remains a crucial strategy for advancing photodetector performance, enabling innovations and breakthroughs in optoelectronics.

Design Strategies and Emerging Applications of Perovskite‐Based Sensors - Yingchun Li, Yarong Ding, Jiachun Sun, Shaozhe Tan, Yufeng Li, Xiaodong Wang, Jun Cai, Jianbin Bai, Xiaolei Lv, Wenhui Guo, Yue Hao, Yannan Liu, Zhenhua Lin, Jingjing Chang (SmartMat, 2025)
ABSTRACT Perovskite materials, with their outstanding optoelectronic properties, low cost, solution‐processability, and scalability, have emerged as promising candidates in the field of sensors. Despite extensive exploration into the photoelectric properties and traditional applications (e.g., gas sensing) of perovskite sensors, there has been limited focus on the fabrication processes that dominate their performance and emerging application directions. The flourishing development of perovskite sensors should comprehend the challenges in fabrication processes (e.g., stability, uniformity, and scale‐up production) of perovskite sensors and further improve the sensing performance in conjunction with the working principles, extending their application fields. Herein, a comprehensive overview primarily focuses on the significant challenges faced by perovskite sensors in emerging application fields, including performance enhancement and process optimization. The key performance parameters a nd working principles of perovskite sensor are analyzed first. Then we review the effective design strategies and solutions proposed in recent research, while providing insights into optimizing sensor design to enhance sensing performance for precise detection. Moreover, some emerging applications of perovskite sensors, such as smart biomedical diagnosis, wearable devices, and artificial intelligence, are explored. Current challenges and future trends are also addressed, emphasizing the growing potential of perovskite sensors in advancing sensor technology innovation and interdisciplinary applications.

Flow-driven piezo-photocatalytic synergy in Bi24O31Br10/(β-PVDF membranes: Interfacial electron transfer-mediated enhancement of tetracycline degradation - Hong, Yixuan; Cui, Yanhua; Wang, Zengkai; Ye, Jian; Li, Chunyan; Shi, Weilong; Yan, Chao (JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, 2026)
Photocatalytic membrane technology has gained considerable attention due to its mild reaction conditions, simple operation, and lower secondary pollution. However, conventional photocatalytic membranes often exhibit notably lower activity compared to powder catalyst, mainly owing to inefficient interfacial charge transfer and limited accessibility of active sites. Herein, we developed a novel porous Bi24O31Br10/(i-PVDF piezoelectric membrane with enhanced fluid-induced piezoelectric potential. Experimental results confirm strong interfacial coupling between Bi24O31Br10 and the (i-PVDF matrix synergistically improved the surface hydrophilicity and piezoelectric polarization of Bi24O31Br10/(i-PVDF piezoelectric membrane. Therefore, the optimized Bi24O31Br10/(i-PVDF piezoelectric membrane achieves exceptional tetracycline (TC) degradation efficiency of 99.73 %, even outperforming both the Bi24O31Br10 powder sample (91.93 %) and non-piezoelectric Bi24O31Br10/a-PVDF membrane (59.19 %) with equivalent catalyst loading. In-situ piezoelectric measurements and electrochemical analyses further revealed that the fluid-induced piezoelectric field on Bi24O31Br10/ (i-PVDF piezoelectric membrane significantly promoted the separation of photogenerated charge carriers, thereby boosting the membrane's catalytic efficiency. This study provides a novel approach for enhancing the efficiency of Bi-based photocatalysts and opens up a new path for the development highly efficient and stable photocatalytic membrane system.

Self-powered piezoelectric nanocomposite films for wearable health-signal monitoring - Baiqi Jing, Lingke Zhu, Xuyuan Kou, Junchen Pan, Haoting Liu, Xilong Li, Jiahao Liu, Yan Wang (Cell Reports Physical Science, 2026)
With the growing demand for flexible electronics in health monitoring, the development of sensing materials that combine environmental sustainability, biocompatibility, and high piezoelectric performance has become a major research focus. Here, we report a barium titanate (BaTiO 3 [BT])/hydroxyapatite (Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 (OH) 2 [HA])/polylactic acid (PLA) nanocomposite film fabricated via spin coating, exhibiting enhanced piezoelectric performance and durability. At a BT/HA content of 5 wt %, the composite film achieves an open-circuit voltage ( V oc ) of 8.56 V, a short-circuit current ( I sc ) of 185 nA, and a piezoelectric coefficient ( d 33 ) of 2.9 pC/N, representing a significant improvement over the pure PLA. The film also demonstrates excellent cyclic stability over 3,000 s under 20 N at 1 Hz and favorable cytocompatibility. Simulations reveal that the optimized composition shows more uniform surface potential, stress, and electric field distribution, consistent with experimental observation. Furthermore, the film enables sensitive detection of various human motions. This work provides an effective strategy for designing sustainable, self-powered flexible sensors for health-monitoring applications.

Highly Flexible and Conformable ZnO/FeGa Magnetoelectric Heterostructures for Skin wound Healing - Filippos Perdikos, Laia Bagur, Cristina Vaca, Aritz Lafuente, Joaquin Llacer‐Wintle, Bojan Ambrožič, Christina Stefani, Minsoo Kim (Advanced Science, 2026)
Composite magnetoelectric (piezoelectric/magnetostrictive) materials are gaining an increased interest due to their appealing wireless actuation capabilities. For many applications, such as sensing, energy harvesting or cell electrostimulation, flexible and adaptable heterostructures are required. However, some of the proposed structures suffer from poor magnetoelectric performance due to their inherent stiffness and the resulting substrate clamping effects. Here, a highly flexible and conformable nanostructured ZnO(piezoelectric)/FeGa(magnetostrictive) magnetoelectric heterostructure embedded in a low Young's modulus elastomer (polydimethylsiloxane; PDMS) is presented. This heterostructure is designed to enhance wound healing via electric stimulation induced by low-intensity and low-frequency AC magnetic fields. In vitro testing using normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) and human keratinocytes (HaCaT) cell cultures demonstrated high cell viability and no adverse effects under magne toelectric stimulation. Moreover, the magnetoelectric stimulation significantly enhanced keratinocyte stratification and fibroblast collagen production, with remarkable improvements in cell migration compared to non-stimulated cells. These results underscore the potential of highly flexible magnetoelectric heterostructures as active dressings to improve wound healing processes, especially relevant for chronic wounds and other epithelial disorders.

CNT-modified BCZT/P(VDF-TrFE) composites for high-performance flexible PENGs - Jianhao Du, Yunlong Sun, Jun Liang, Danyang Wang (Journal of materials research/Pratt's guide to venture capital sources, 2026)
Flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) are attractive for self-powered electronics, yet their practical deployment is often limited by insufficient electrical output. Here, we report a dual-filler strategy for enhancing lead-free flexible PENGs based on BCZT/P(VDF-TrFE) composites, in which 0.6Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–0.4(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BCZT) provides the primary piezoelectric contribution and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) improve charge transport and interfacial electromechanical coupling. Structural characterization confirmed the successful incorporation of both fillers while preserving the electroactive β phase of P(VDF-TrFE). Among all compositions, the 0.1-wt% CNT–3-wt% BCZT/P(VDF-TrFE) composites exhibit the best electrical output performance, delivering 13 µA and 50 V under 175 N at 5 Hz, with a maximum power density of 23 µW cm−2. In addition, the composites also maintain stable electrical output over 15,000 loading cycles. These results demonstrate that synergistic BCZT/CNT incorpo ration is an effective approach for improving the output performance and durability of flexible lead-free PENGs for energy-harvesting and self-powered sensing.

Investigation of BZT-based PVDF polymer and Rochelle salt, a piezo materials: microcrystalline, morphological and its electrical behaviour study - M Rakesh, E R Babu, Raj R Gowtham, Abdul Amir H. Kadhum, M Nagamadhu, M Rudresh, B Sandeep, Y S Balaji (Journal of Engineering and Applied Science, 2026)
Abstract Over the years, people have utilized natural resources in various ways including energy conservation, which has contributed to comfortable living. The advancement of conductive polymers depend on studying piezoelectric-rich polymer energy sources as they are affordable, environmentally friendly and electrically potent. This research focuses on synthesizing Barium Zirconate Titanate (BZT), a leading piezoelectric material and analyzing its properties. The BZT nanocomposite with a Ba (Zr 0.25 Ti 0.75 ) O3 phase was integrated into a Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) matrix using a solvent casting method. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with the micrograph depicts the 0.5–1.0 μm size of a cluster of crystals are observed in BZT materials and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) confirmed the production and purity of BZT nanoparticles and their incorporation with test results of 2θ between 0º to 80º with α and β PVDF phases. Key electrical properties such as dielectric conductivity, loss and c onstant were evaluated across different frequencies. The 0.5 Wt.% BZT-PVDF films exhibited the highest dielectric loss about 20.0 M V/m in relation to frequency of 3 × 10 6 Hz. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) confirmed the melting point of pure PVDF polymer films of temperature − 40 °C offering insights into the stability of conductive polymers. The addition of Rochelle salt powder increased the β-PVDF phase in PVDF, which is significant for applications in piezoelectric films for capacitors and piezo sensor manufacturing.

An analytical–numerical framework for vibration and pull-in analysis of auxetic sandwich microplates with FG PZT/Ag facesheets - Alireza Alipouri Toraab, A. Ghorbanpour Arani, Zahra Khoddami Maraghi (Journal of Vibration and Control, 2026)
This paper presents a design-oriented analytical–numerical framework for vibration and electrostatic pull-in of a three-layer microplate with a re-entrant auxetic core and functionally graded (FG) PZT/Ag facesheets (PZT: lead zirconate titanate; Ag: silver). Piezoelectric coupling is not considered; the facesheets are modeled only through graded elastic properties. The aim is to provide a compact and validated workflow for predicting both resonance and pull-in of auxetic-core FG sandwich microplates under simply supported boundaries. A harmonic (series-compliance) shear-transfer correction is incorporated at the laminate level, and the transverse dynamics are solved using a Mindlin–Navier series solution. The framework is verified against an in-house Mindlin plate FEM and cross-validated using ABAQUS composite-shell simulations. Pull-in is assessed using a Mindlin-consistent single-mode ROM based on static condensation and numerical projection of the electrostatic pressure, yielding <m ml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> V P I ≈ 118.16 V for a d = 0.52 μ m gap. Size effects are examined via MCST through the normalized parameter l 0 / h , reported as a sensitivity to the assumed (or calibrated) length scale.

Enhanced piezoelectric performance of textured ceramics based on AC polarization technology for ultrasonic transducer - Jinpeng Ma, Yuan Sun, Yi Yang, Weiwei Gao, Linjing Liu, Bin Yang (Applied Physics Letters, 2026)
Piezoelectric materials serve as the core component of ultrasonic transducers, where advancing system capabilities necessitates continuously improved performance. To this end, alternating current polarization (ACP) was employed to enhance the piezoelectric properties of [001]c-textured Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) ceramics. Compared to samples prepared via direct current polarization, ACP-textured ceramics achieved superior performance: a piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of ∼1200 pC/N, a relative permittivity (ε∼) of ∼2953, and an electromechanical coupling factor (kt) of ∼0.67. This enhancement is attributed to a more uniform domain structure and a higher density of domain walls induced by the ACP process. Furthermore, a 1–3 composite 5 MHz transducer fabricated from these ACP-textured ceramics demonstrated a broad bandwidth of ∼141% and a low insertion loss of −12 dB, representing leading performance for ceramic-based transducers operating in the 2–5 MHz range. This work highlight s the potential of ACP for developing high-performance piezoelectric materials essential for future broadband ultrasonic transducers.

Potential of piezoelectric silk and organic bioelectronics in bone tissue engineering - Marija Branković, Fatima Živić, Mihailo Jovanović, Petar Todorović, N. Grujović (Bioinspired Biomimetic and Nanobiomaterials, 2026)
Natural silk-based materials exhibit intrinsic piezoelectricity making them suitable for advanced applications including organic bioelectronics and energy-harvesting systems. Silk fibroin is particularly attractive due to its biocompatibility. Organic and polymer-based piezoelectric devices can be effectively integrated with biological environments to provide sensing, neural interfaces, and bone tissue regeneration. This review paper presents key aspects of piezoelectric silk, processing, functionalization routes and genetic modifications focusing on its piezoelectric performance and the design of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Potential of piezoelectric silk in bone tissue reconstruction and repair is analyzed, including various silk forms such as films, hydrogels, sponges, fibers, and composites. Wearable organic electronics is reviewed with case studies in biosensors, actuators, piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators, including related challenges in integrating elect ronics with organic materials. Very recent advanced research directions about the links between the bone and brain systems focusing on integrative phytotherapy for neurodegenerative disorders are briefly analyzed. Challenges including low piezoelectric coefficients, material variability, limited long-term mechanical stability, fabrication scalability issues, and a lack of standardized characterization methods are analyzed, indicating the need for structural engineering, hybrid nanocomposites, advanced alignment strategies, and integrated computational-experimental approaches to achieve reliable, sustainable bioelectronic systems with silk-based materials.

Ultrahigh piezoelectric performances in soft lead zirconate titanate/polydimethylsiloxane composites by ethanol-assisted freeze casting - Yao Xiao, Lei Yang, Mufeng Zhang, Xin Li, Erxiang Xu, Minzheng Yang, Penghao Hu, Yang Shen (Nature Communications, 2026)
Flexible materials capable of transducing mechanical signals into electrical responses underpin advances in wearable systems, soft robotics, and underwater sensing technologies. Ceramic–polymer piezoelectric composites can combine high electromechanical activity with mechanical compliance, but controlling phase distribution and architecture remains challenging. Here, we report an ethanol-assisted freeze-casting strategy that endows soft lead zirconate titanate/polydimethylsiloxane composites with an anisotropic architecture, enabling both high piezoelectric performance and excellent mechanical deformability. The composites achieve a high piezoelectric charge coefficient of 275 pC·N−1, a piezoelectric voltage coefficient of 233 mV·m·N−1, and an energy-harvesting figure of merit of 64.1 pm2·N−1. The composites also exhibit robust mechanical flexibility, sustaining bending with radii below 5 mm, twisting, compressive deformation, and tensile strains up to 60%. The ethanol-assisted route s uppresses freeze-induced cracking and improves three-dimensional compositional uniformity. This method offers a scalable and practical route for fabricating high-performance flexible piezoelectric composites for next-generation sensing technologies. The authors report ethanol-assisted freeze casting of flexible PZT/PDMS composites with enhanced piezoelectric performance, improved structural uniformity, and excellent mechanical deformability, underscoring their potential for sensing technologies.

Bioinspired asymmetric structural synergy for soft robotics: closed-loop piezoelectric harvesting and ionic actuation - Heng Yao, Yuze Jiao, Zhaoyue Xia, Huang Lin, Yuanjing Cui, Hui Yang, Qilong Zhang (npj Flexible Electronics, 2026)
Conventional robotics face fundamental trade-offs among energy-autonomy, actuation efficiency, and manufacturing simplicity. Here, we break this dilemma through a universal material design strategy of “bioinspired asymmetric engineering”. This concept is materialized through a one-step, scalable coordination of metal-organic framework UIO-66(Hf) with a piezoelectric polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)), yielding a hierarchical hemispherical-pore composite that achieves record piezoelectricity (d33 = 46.7 ± 0.4 pC/N), and generating considerable piezoelectric outputs (open-circuit voltage (Voc) = 32.0 V, short-circuit current (Isc) = 2.2 μA, Power density (PD) = 10.9 μW cm−2). The same asymmetry principle enables a Janus actuator, where programmed elastic modulus gradation and porous ion channels co-produce ultrafast response (0.8 ms) and large bending (18.0 mm). Crucially, we first demonstrate the strategy’s versatility by integrating these components in to a closed-loop, and self-powered robotic system capable of direct piezopotential-driven actuation. This work establishes asymmetric structural design as a versatile materials paradigm, opening the pathways toward intelligent soft robotics and autonomous embodied systems.

Multi-mode piezoelectric radiation-based microantennas and miniaturized wireless sensing unit driven by bulk acoustic waves - Xinyu Cai, Rui Wan, Rui Ding, Jianhui Wu, Jie Li, Kaihang Zhang, Jiaqi Lu, Dinku Hazarika (Nature Communications, 2026)
Wireless sensing systems enable real-time, non-contact monitoring for next-generation intelligent platforms. Ideal wireless sensing systems feature compact, low power consumption, and long communication range. Here we report a miniaturized wireless sensing system with an integrated acoustic-resonance-driven piezoelectric microantenna (PE μ-antenna) with a 0.0196 mm2 active area. The PE μ-antenna integrated on a film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) achieves dual-frequency radiation at 1.85 GHz and 3.91 GHz with gains of –32.96 dBi and –20.5 dBi, respectively. The μ-antennas achieve over four orders of magnitude radiation efficiency enhancement and volume reduction compared with existing piezoelectric transmitters. We further extend this approach to high-overtone bulk acoustic resonators with high quality factors for wireless sensing. The system enables temperature and strain sensing with a transmission range up to 1 m, demonstrating state-of-the-art miniaturization and transmission perfo rmance among wireless sensing systems. This work establishes a scalable platform for ultracompact wireless sensors and communication nodes in biomedical, wearable, and aerospace applications. Piezoelectric microantennas driven by acoustic waves were developed. A sensor based on the antenna enables wireless temperature and strain sensing up to 1 m, establishing a scalable platform for ultracompact wireless transmission and sensing systems.

An Energy Focusing Flexible and Lightweight Acoustic Metamaterial for Enhanced Ultrasound Power Transfer - Hyung‐Suk Kwon, Ziqi Yu, Xiaopeng Li, Ercan M Dede, Taehwa Lee (Advanced Materials, 2026)
Ultrasound power transfer enables the wireless charging of implantable medical devices by utilizing an energy harvester to convert incoming ultrasound into electrical energy. Most harvesters rely on Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) crystals for energy conversion, but since PZTs are rigid and dense ceramics, scaling them up to harvest more energy produces heavier devices that are impractical for medical applications. This study presents a metamaterial-enhanced ultrasound energy harvester (Meta-UEH) that integrates a small PZT crystal with a locally resonant metamaterial, which concentrates ultrasound energy onto the PZT and thus improves its energy harvesting performance. The metamaterial is flexible, lightweight, and entirely passive, making it well-suited for medical applications, while increasing the power of harvested electricity by more than double. Experimental and simulation results confirm that the Meta-UEH achieves enhanced efficiency even under reverberation or deformation, benef iting from standing waves that form between transducers and the metamaterial, with harvested electrical power reaching up to 350% of that obtained without the metamaterial and standing wave. The underlying mechanisms behind the improvement are analyzed, revealing that the improvement is not specific to PZTs but can also be applied to other ultrasound-electricity conversion methods, such as piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators.

Biodegradable chitosan-cellulose and sub-spherical nanocrystals composite piezoelectric thin film - Valentina Antonaci, Gaia de Marzo, Laura Blasi, Virgilio Brunetti, Enrico Binetti, Luca Fachechi, Sergio Marras, Antonio Qualtieri (npj Flexible Electronics, 2026)
Recently, research has increasingly focused on eco-friendly innovations in sensor and actuator technologies, emphasising the importance of using safe, high-performance, environmentally sustainable, flexible and biocompatible materials in biomedical devices. Our study explores the potential of a composite made of cellulose and chitosan, in developing biodegradable piezoelectric ultrasound transducers. As the piezoelectric technology becomes more common in flexible biomedical devices, the need for sustainable alternatives to traditional synthetic and petroleum-based polymers grows more urgent. The developed biodegradable piezoelectric composites offer a chance to create environmentally friendly solutions that are safe for biological tissues and to support a plastic-free future. By integrating Sub-spherical piezoelectric cellulose nanocrystals CNCs into a chitosan matrix, we significantly improve the piezoelectric properties of flexible thin films. The resulting Chitosan/CNC composite exh ibits clear biodegradation under enzymatic hydrolysis conditions and shows a d₃₃ value of 30 pC/N comparable to synthetic polymers like polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). This enables these films to be processed to produce effective ultrasound transducers, making them promising for various biomedical applications, including non-invasive imaging and wearable health monitoring. These developments represent a significant step toward sustainable, high-performance piezoelectric devices that fulfil the growing needs of next-generation medical technologies.

Large piezoelectricity in crosslinked ferroelectric polymers - Z. Yuan, Chenyi Li, Yutie Gong, Huamin Zhou, Yang Liu (Nature Communications, 2026)
Ferroelectric polymers exhibit numerous advantages for flexible and wearable electromechanical applications. However, their piezoelectric coefficient d33 remains relatively low while most previous approaches to improve d33 mainly focus on intramolecular engineering. Other than using intramolecular approaches, here we describe an intermolecular crosslinking strategy to achieve markedly enhanced d33 of −95.0 picocoulombs per newton in crosslinked ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) copolymers. First-principles calculations reveal that intermolecular crosslinking creates strong local conformational heterogeneity facilitating ease of bond rotation near the crosslinking sites, which leads to a flattened energy landscape, resulting in substantially improved d33 response. We show that crosslinking enabled by solution casting process enhances piezoelectric properties across a variety of crosslinking agents. Our work offers a facile platform for rational modulation of p iezoelectricity of ferroelectric polymers, representing a crucial step towards large-scale manufacturing of lightweight, flexible, and scalable ferroelectric polymers for developing high-performance electromechanical devices. The d33 values of ferroelectric polymers are low in comparison to ceramics, such as perovskite oxides. Here, the authors report an intermolecular crosslinking strategy to improve the piezoelectricity of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) copolymers, achieving high d33 values.

Recycled Thermocol Nanofibers Based Smart Triboelectric Nanogenerators for AI‐Assisted Switching - Shubham Patil, Mahesh Y. Chougale, Thomas R. Cox, Sourabh B. Ghode, Abhishek Kulkarni, Parth Pandit, Niroshan Manoharan, Ajay Pandey (Small, 2026)
ABSTRACT The accumulation of non‐biodegradable thermocol (expanded polystyrene, EPS) waste presents a critical environmental challenge and an untapped resource for sustainable energy technologies. In this work, we demonstrate a waste‐to‐functional‐material strategy by transforming discarded thermocol into electrospun EPS nanofibers and employing them as an efficient tribonegative layer in a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). Unlike conventional polymer films, the nanofibrous EPS architecture introduces high surface roughness and electrospinning‐induced dipole alignment, leading to markedly enhanced charge generation. The resulting TENG delivers an open‐circuit voltage of ∼159 V, a short‐circuit current of ∼22 µA, and a maximum output powerdensity of 2083 mW/m 2 , outperforming widely used triboelectric polymers such as PTFE and PET. The device further exhibits excellent mechanical durability, long‐term stability over six months, and robust performance under varying humidity and temper ature conditions. Beyond energy harvesting, the TENG is implemented as a self‐powered intelligent switching interface, where machine‐learning‐assisted signal processing enables reliable operation of a digital elevator system. This study establishes recycled EPS nanofibers as a high‐performance triboelectric material and demonstrates their potential for sustainable, intelligent, and self‐powered electronic systems.

In Situ Amidation‐Derived Interfacial Modulation for Homogeneous Ultra‐High Nanoparticle Loading Toward Robust and Flexible Piezoelectric Composites - HakSu Jang, In Beom Heo, Changyeon Baek, Dong Won Jeon, Donghun Lee, Nagamalleswara Rao Alluri, Hye-Won Choi, HyoMin Jeon (Advanced Functional Materials, 2026)
ABSTRACT Hybrid materials‐based composites offer resilient and distinctive properties that can be utilized in a broad range of fields compared to traditional single‐phase materials, especially gaining attention in the field of composite‐based flexible piezoelectric energy harvesters (f‐PEHs). However, dispersing pristine inorganic fillers into an organic matrix presents challenges such as particle aggregation, interfacial incompatibility, and heterogeneous dispersion, which limit the ability to achieve uniform ultra‐high ceramic loading to improve the performance of f‐PEHs. Herein, a polydopamine (PDA) surface coating technology was introduced to BaTiO 3 @BaSrTiO 3 core–shell (CS) piezoelectric nanoparticles to inhibit particle aggregation, interfacial incompatibility, and heterogeneous dispersion inside the polymeric matrix. The in situ polymerization of PDA within the PI matrix creates cooperative covalent and non‐covalent interfacial interactions, enabling homogeneous dispersion and achieving 80 wt.% filler loading. These achievements were theoretically verified by employing a density functional theory calculation. The hybrid composite film with high contents (80 wt.%) of PDA‐coated CS piezoelectric nanoparticles exhibits enhanced microstructural stability and a superior piezoelectric coefficient (d 33, eff ≈ 13.4 pm/V). These features promote an efficient stress transfer, a strong grain‐to‐grain connectivity, and an improved cumulative electric dipole alignment, which results in highly‐efficient energy conversion of energy harvesters. The optimized piezocomposite‐based f‐PEH has a maximum open‐circuit voltage ( V OC ) of ∼5.11 V and a short‐circuit current ( I SC ) of ∼1.12 µA when subjected to repetitive mechanical bending forces. Furthermore, our piezo‐hybrid material technology, realizing the ultra‐high loading of ceramic fillers inside a polymeric matrix, provides the feasibility of robustness under extreme environmental conditions, highlighting suitability for space and nuclear applications.

Spiderweb-inspired flextensional transduction enables giant piezoelectric response for monitoring imperceptible biomechanical signals - Shengjie Liu, Minqi Chen, Zhongqian Song, Weiyan Li, Huijun Kong, Shenqi Zhang, Yu Bao, Li Niu (npj Flexible Electronics, 2026)
Accurate monitoring biomechanical signals is critical for physiological assessment and clinical interventions, but remains challenging due to their dynamic and imperceptible characteristics. Here, inspired by the spiderweb’s ability to perceive weak mechanical perturbations, we present a flextensional transduction strategy that allows piezoelectric devices to detect slight mechanical stimulus with ultrahigh sensitivity. Finite-element simulations and experimental validations demonstrate that flextensional strain amplification and dipole reorientation in amorphous PVDF domains synergistically enable a record output voltage of 161.5 V and a power density of 153.4 μW·cm−² under sub-Newton-level mechanical stimuli. The device allows for real-time contact force monitoring during endovascular aneurysm interventions and high-fidelity pulse waveforms acquisition for noninvasive blood pressure estimation. This bioinspired strategy establishes a universal route for transducing imperceptible biom echanical stimuli into measurable electrical signals for ultrasensitive biomedical monitoring.

Harnessing piezoelectric poly L lactic acid for enhanced sensing in aortic annuloplasty - Youssif Merhi, Karem Lozano Montero, Peter Johansen, Matti Mäntysalo, Shweta Agarwala (npj Flexible Electronics, 2026)
Advancements in biomedical technologies increasingly demand biocompatible and biodegradable materials capable of integrating with the body for real-time monitoring of physiological processes. Aortic annuloplasty, a procedure to stabilize the aortic root and restore valve function in cases of regurgitation and root dilation, highlights the need for such innovations. Current methods rely on postoperative imaging, which challenges mapping of the dynamic forces acting on the aortic root and annuloplasty ring during the cardiac cycle. To address this, we assessed the piezoelectric performance of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) films, fabricated via solvent casting and processed using uniaxial stretching and thermal annealing, through tapping, straining, and forceand vibration-sweep tests. These experiments characterized the electrical response of PLLA films under varying mechanical stimuli and evaluated their potential for biomedical sensing. We developed a ring-like prototype device to simulate real-world conditions and assess its suitability for implantable sensors using an in vitro setup for biosignal monitoring of aortic annuloplasty. The device demonstrated stable and periodic voltage outputs correlated with applied pressures, ranging from −0.5 to 0.5 V at 92/51 mmHg to −1.1 to 1.3 V at 164/114 mmHg. These findings support the feasibility of PLLA-based sensors for real-time biomechanical feedback in cardiovascular surgery.

Rochelle salt-based biodegradable piezoelectric devices for nerve regeneration and intestinal motility monitoring - Fanqi Dai, Haofeng Cheng, Hui Qi, Honglai Cai, Abdul Aziz, Tianqi Su, Yanjun Guan, Yuhui Cui (Nature Communications, 2026)
Piezoelectric materials provide a unique platform for bioelectronic interfaces, enabling dynamic sensing and electroactive therapies through bidirectional transduction between biomechanical and bioelectrical signals. However, the development of bioresorbable piezoelectric materials that combine high functional performance with mechanical compliance remains a critical challenge for seamless integration with soft biological tissues, while eliminating the need for retrieval surgeries and long-term material retention. Here, we report a bioresorbable, flexible piezoelectric composite composed of Rochelle salt (RS) crystals embedded within poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) nanofibers. Fabricated via electrospinning and uniaxial compression, centimeter-scale biodegradable nanofiber films are achieved, exhibiting excellent effective piezoelectric coefficient of 43.1 pC N−1 and piezoelectric voltage coefficient of 1909.2 mV m N−1, surpassing the piezoelectric performance of previously reported biodegr adable flexible materials. Ultrasound-driven scaffold devices derived from these bioresorbable piezoelectric materials markedly enhance sciatic nerve regeneration in rodents. Additionally, a biodegradable piezoelectric strain sensor enables wireless, real-time monitoring of intestinal motility, facilitating diagnosis of colonic dysfunction. Together, these findings establish a prominent materials paradigm for biodegradable piezoelectric electronics, offering a versatile platform for bioelectronic applications in regenerative medicine, neuromodulation, and physiological monitoring. Bioresorbable piezoelectric materials are key for bioelectronic–tissue integration but remain challenging to realize. Here, the authors develop flexible Rochelle salt/PLLA nanofibers that enable effective nerve regeneration and wireless monitoring of intestinal motility.

Electroacoustic alignment of robust and highly piezoelectric nylon-11 films - Robert Komljenovic, Yemima Ehrnst, Peter C. Sherrell, Amgad R. Rezk, Leslie Y. Yeo (Nature Communications, 2026)
Nylon-11—a common and widely used material, is a promising non-fluorinated piezoelectric polymer given its mechanical strength, chemical stability and elasticity. Nevertheless, it typically possesses low piezoelectric performance, which severely limits its use for energy generation applications. Here, we demonstrate the synthesis of highly aligned, piezoelectric nylon-11 films through an energy-efficient (≈1–5 Wh), single-step platform that facilitates the electroacoustic coupling associated with MHz-order nanoscale vibrations during the crystallisation process. Uniquely, such coupling allows the simultaneous induction of (i) nylon’s piezoelectric $${δ }^{{′} }$$ -phase, (ii) long-range crystalline ordering, (iii) an ordered hydrogen-bonded network, and (iv) dipole alignment, which we directly probe using time-resolved operando synchrotron grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering and high-resolution infrared spectroscopy. We show that the material produces a piezoelectri c voltage coefficient (g33 = 427 × 10−3 Vm N−1) that surpasses the performance of all piezoelectric polymers reported to date. The film’s exceptional mechanical resilience is evident from its stable performance over 20,000 compression cycles at 50 N and its ability to withstand vehicular loads. Nylon-11 is a common and durable polymer but possess low piezoelectric properties. Here, the authors use mechanical accelerations and strong electric fields to induce crystallization, hydrogen-bonding and dipole alignment in Nylon-11 films, achieving high piezoelectricity.

Facet-modulated ferroelectric polymers - Bo Cai, Zhi-Ling Hou, Yuan-Yuan Qi, Pei‐Yan Zhao, Hua-Long Peng, Yu Zhang, Martin C. Koo, Tongcai Yue (Nature Communications, 2026)
Ferroelectrics hold significant promise for a wide range of applications owing to their spontaneous polarization characteristics. Despite exhibiting multiple polarization mechanisms that demonstrate significant potential for electromagnetic functional materials, the practical deployment of ferroelectric polymers has been inhibited by the lack of precise control over polymer chains at the atomic scale and the relatively low stability of the polar phase. Here, a procedure of fortifying the ferroelectric polyvinylidene fluoride phase is proposed by the facet modulation, achieving stable ferroelectric polymer through engineering the interaction between the inorganic rigid crystal facets and organic flexible molecular chains at the atomic scale. The constructed polar ferroelectric polymers composite systems exhibit a broad distribution of relaxation times along with multi-polarization characteristics from megahertz to terahertz frequencies. The composite system mitigates the apparent loss-b andwidth trade-off, thereby achieving broadband polarization properties across multiple frequency bands while maintaining a dissipation efficiency above 99.9%. The demonstrated approach presents a breakthrough in achieving the stable ferroelectric polymers through facet-induced stabilization, providing deep insights for the development of high-performance electromagnetic functional materials.

In Situ Growth of 2D Perovskite Nanocrystals to Induce β–Phase of PVDF for Piezoelectric Nanogenerators with Ultra‐High Output Voltage - Yang Yang, Jordan Cosgrove, Minh Tam Hoang, Mahesh Y. Chougale, Parth Pandit, Wei‐Hsun Chiu, Wenzhong Ji, Teng Lu (Small, 2026)
ABSTRACT 3D perovskite nanocrystals have emerged as promising fillers incorporated into PVDF films for flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs). Nevertheless, their stability issues, such as moisture sensitivity and thermal degradation, cause reduced long‐term reliability and durability of perovskite‐based PENGs, hindering their practical application. Herein, we demonstrate the high‐performance PENGs using in situ grown 2D perovskite (PEA 2 MA 2 Pb 3 Br 10 ) nanocrystals (2D PSK NCs) in the PVDF matrix. The interaction between 2D PSK NCs and PVDF dipoles enhances the electroactive phase content to 86.35% and the piezoelectric coefficient to 35.16 pm/V of the composite films. Therefore, the unpolarized 17.3 wt.% 2D PSK NCS@PVDF‐based PENG demonstrates outstanding piezoelectric outputs with an ultra‐high voltage of 66.54 V and a decent current density of 1.166 µA/cm 2 under periodic vertical impact, corresponding to 2.74‐ and 7.29‐fold increases over the pure PVDF‐based device. Nota bly, the PENG also performs under different light conditions. The addition of 2D PSK NCs absorbed photons leads to enhanced piezoelectric output in sunlight. Additionally, the composite films display remarkable hydrophobicity and mechanical durability, sustaining stable operation for over 12000 continuous impact cycles. The energy generated from the PENG can charge capacitors and power small electrical devices, such as a calculator and commercial light–emitting diodes.

Stepwise Regulation of Cellular Oxidative Stress via Conductive‐Piezoelectric Integrated Microstructured Conduits for Enhanced Nerve Regeneration - Dong Zhou, Mengxuan Bian, Lingyu Wei, Binghuang Yao, Qi Chen, Lan Xiao, Jing He, Jian Zhang (Advanced Science, 2026)
Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) poses significant challenges due to the complex structure and regenerative microenvironment of peripheral nerves, which limit self-repair capabilities. Artificial nerve conduits have been widely used for nerve repair. Here, a conductive-piezoelectric integrated microstructured conduit is designed, using poly(lactic glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) via electrostatic spinning to obtain an implantable, biodegradable piezoelectric nanofibrous membrane. This membrane is further enhanced with a reduced graphene oxide/methacrylated gelatin (rGO/GelMA) gel, which synergistically promotes peripheral nerve repair. In vitro assessments reveal that the microgroove surface pattern of the conduit effectively stimulated the directional migration of cells. Moreover, using a rat sciatic nerve injury model, rGO is demonstrated to significantly modulate cellular oxidative stress, thereby facilitating nerve repair. Additionally, mild electrical stimu lation induced by low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is found to enhance the recovery of motor function. These findings demonstrate the multifaceted benefits of the rGO/GelMA@PVGA composite conduit, which integrates physical guidance, oxidative stress inhibition, and ultrasound-activated electrical stimulation, providing an unprecedented multimodal synergistic strategy with great potential for clinical treatment of peripheral nerve injury.

Recyclable CdS/PVDF Composite Films for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production: Water Flow Drives Piezo‐Photocatalysis - Jiaxuan Li, Yue Zhang, Tao Lv, Jing Ren, Luyan Li, Nayab Arif, Lijuan Xiang, Xuejuan Hu (Advanced Functional Materials, 2026)
ABSTRACT The induced polarized electric field in the piezoelectric film promotes efficient carrier separation, which is a promising strategy for semiconductor photocatalysts to improve photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity. In this work, PVDF@CdS@PVDF sandwich‐like flexible composite film has been fabricated via magnetron sputtering. The dynamic piezoelectric field produced by low energy density water flow on bi‐layer PVDF is advantageous for bulk charge transfer and separation. The hydrogen evolution rate of the optimal PVDF@CdS@PVDF composite film reaches 1313.3 µmol g −1 h −1 owing to the dual‐polarized electric field, which is 14 times higher than the pure CdS photocatalyst. In addition, the theoretical simulation confirms that the piezoelectric effect of the dual PVDF film facilitates the suppression of photogenerated carrier recombination. From a broader perspective, this work sheds light on flexible and recyclable composite photocatalyst films for efficient clean energy.

Cellulose-Templated Poly(vinylidene Fluoride) Polar-Phase Microspheres with a Lightweight Structure and Enhanced Piezoelectric Output - Yang, Shu-Gui; Wang, Ruixin; Wang, Jinkun; Liu, Ting-Ting; Zhang, Liang-Qing; Liu, Feng (JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B, 2026)
The rational design of three-dimensional (3D) piezoelectric architectural units represents a cutting-edge approach for fabricating highly sensitive piezoelectric materials. However, the precise control over the formation of piezoelectric crystals during the construction of 3D polymer architectures remains a formidable challenge. Here, we report a novel strategy that enables the induction of dominant polar forms while simultaneously constructing their 3D architectures. Utilizing porous cellulose templates, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) was self-assembled from solution into microspheres with diameters approximately 3 mu m. During this self-assembly process, hydrogen bonding and dipole interactions between PVDF molecules and the cellulose template could facilitate the nucleation and growth of the polar forms. By manipulating the porous structure of cellulose, we successfully achieved two distinct spatial arrangements of PVDF polar microspheres: a homogeneous distribution of PVDF polar microspheres interspersed among the cellulose nanofibrils, and the aggregation of PVDF polar microspheres on the cell wall of the template. Our findings reveal that the former arrangement demonstrates superior piezoelectric sensitivity, boasting a piezoelectric voltage constant of 0.42 V & centerdot;m/N at a low mass density of 0.3 g/cm(3)& horbar;approximately three times greater than that of the pure PVDF and the cellulose template alone. The remarkable piezoelectric sensitivity observed in the 3D porous PVDF/cellulose composite stems from the fact that the compressive stress applied to the polar microspheres induces a substantial effective electric displacement in the direction of the compressive force. This study opens the door to a new class of rationally designed piezoelectric sensors for wearable human-computer interaction applications.

Recent advances in β-phase engineering of PVDF-based piezoelectric composites for enhanced piezoelectricity and wearable applications - Zhao, Tienan; Li, Yuzhu; Zhang, Zhitao (CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS, 2026)
Piezoelectric materials, enabling mutual conversion between mechanical and electrical energy, are foundational to numerous sensing and actuation technologies. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymers are among the most promising polymer-based piezoelectric materials owing to their flexibility and processability. Their piezoelectric response originates primarily from the polar beta phase, which exhibits the highest dipole alignment among all crystalline phases. However, pristine PVDF typically crystallizes in the nonpolar alpha phase, resulting in limited piezoelectric activity. Consequently, programming the beta phase has emerged as a key strategy to enhance the piezoelectric performance of PVDF-based composites. In this review, we comprehensively summarize beta-phase regulation strategies and their impact on device applications. We first analyze recent advances in beta-phase programming of PVDF-based composites, with emphasis on in situ electrical poling, mechanical process ing, and filler doping. The underlying mechanisms, structure-property relationships, and representative studies are also systematically discussed. Furthermore, we highlight the applications of high-performance PVDF-based composites in health monitoring and energy harvesting. Finally, the current challenges and future opportunities are outlined to provide insights into the development of next-generation PVDF-based piezoelectric systems.

Electrospun PVDF nanofibers via 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid incorporation for enhancing dielectric and piezoelectric properties - Rani, Kavita; Choudhary, Priya; Sharma, Anurekha; Dwivedi, Yashashchandra; Kumar, Ashok (JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS, 2026)
The increasing demand for wearable and self-powered devices has increased interest in flexible piezoelectric polymers. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) is one of the most widely used materials due to its piezoelectricity and mechanical flexibility. The piezoelectric performance of PVDF depends on its beta-phase. In this study, PVDF/[BMIM][BF4] ionic liquid composite nanofibers were successfully fabricated using the electrospinning technique without external electrical poling. Different concentrations of [BMIM][BF4] (by wt% in solution) were incorporated to investigate their effect on beta-phase formation, dielectric behavior, mechanical properties, and piezoelectric performance of PVDF. The results showed that the incorporation of [BMIM][BF4] enhanced the beta-phase, dielectric constant, and piezoelectric coefficient of PVDF due to strong ion-dipole interactions and electrospinning-induced molecular chain alignment. The PVDF/[BMIM][BF4] nanofibers with 4-wt% ionic liquid exhibited the highest beta-phase fraction of 81.22%, a piezoelectric coefficient (d(33)) of 24 pC/N, and a dielectric constant of similar to 23 with a low dielectric loss of similar to 0.07 at 100 Hz. These findings demonstrate that electrospun [BMIM][BF4]-modified PVDF nanofibers, achieved without poling, are promising candidates for flexible piezoelectric and vibration-based energy-harvesting applications.

Electrospun PVDF/graphene piezoelectric fibrous sensor with a superamphiphobic SiO₂ coating for wearable gait monitoring - Zhenxing Zhang, Pengcheng Yan, Juan Wei, Sen Zhang, Hongyu Zheng, Tengfei Sun (Sensors and Actuators A Physical, 2026)

Synergistic Role of Copper-Doped Barium Titanate and Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes in PVDF-HFP Nanofiber Films for Flexible Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting - ["M. Satthiyaraju", "R. Gowdaman", "Durga Prasad Pabba", "N. Arul", "K.M. Govindaraju", "N. B. Karthik Babu", "C. M. Nagaraj", "A. S. Vivekananda"] (Journal of Electronic Materials, 2026)
Over the past few decades, piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) have garnered significant attention as promising solutions for sustainable energy harvesting due to their ability to convert external mechanical forces into electrical energy. Despite considerable advancements, however, current PENG technologies remain limited in structural diversity, which restricts output enhancement and hinders their application in wearable, implantable, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices. In this study, PENGs were fabricated using the electrospinning technique with a nanocomposite system composed of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs), and copper-doped barium titanate (CBT) nanoparticles. The effects of these nanofillers on the structural, mechanical, dielectric, thermal, and piezoelectric properties of the composite films were systematically investigated. The incorporation of f-MWCNTs enhanced the tensile s train capacity of the nanocomposite films, indicating improved mechanical flexibility. Dielectric analysis revealed enhanced electrical conductivity and superior dielectric properties, with the nanocomposite film containing 5 wt.% nanofillers achieving a high dielectric constant of 36. Although these films exhibited a high dielectric constant with reduced flexibility, they remained suitable for energy-harvesting applications. The piezoelectric performance was evaluated under finger-tapping conditions. The PENG based on the PVDF-HFP/CBT/f-MWCNT nanocomposite with 3 wt.% nanofillers generated an output voltage of 3.72 V, as measured using a digital oscilloscope. This output represents a substantial improvement relative to the pure PVDF-HFP film, which generated only 1.2 V under identical conditions. Overall, the incorporation of CBT and f-MWCNT nanofillers into the PVDF-HFP matrix significantly enhanced the mechanical, dielectric, and piezoelectric performance of the nanocompos ite films, demonstrating their strong potential for next-generation self-powered devices.

Hydrothermally synthesized Li-KNN and PVDF based flexible composites for piezoelectric energy harvesting - Piyush Luthra, Babita Sharma, Monika Tomar, Anjali Sharma, Arijit Chowdhuri, Reema Gupta (Materials Science and Engineering B, 2026)

Dual-functional oriented PVDF/CNTs/BaTiO3 composite foams fabricated by supercritical CO2 foaming for electromagnetic shielding and piezoelectric sensing - Yishen Zhao, Fangfang Zou, Xiaofeng Wang, Guangxian Li, Xia Liao (Composites Science and Technology, 2026)

Distinguishing intrinsic and interfacial pyroelectric effects by polarization reversal measurements - Huiyu Dan, Weiqi Qian, Chong Guo, Wei Zhang, Huiqi Zhao, Chris Bowen, Ya Yang (Nature Communications, 2026)
Pyroelectric devices hold promise for thermal energy harvesting and sensing. While previous studies have focused on the intrinsic pyroelectric response, they neglect the interfacial pyroelectric effect at the electrode-material interface, leading to an overestimation of the intrinsic contribution to pyroelectricity. By leveraging the reversibility of the intrinsic effect and the irreversibility of the interfacial effect, we propose a method that uses polarization reversal measurements to distinguish between them. By calculating the contributions of the two effects for different ferroelectric films, it is observed that the intrinsic and interfacial pyroelectric effects dominate in PbTiO3 and BaTiO3 films with Schottky contacts, respectively, modifying the energy Figure of Merit. Furthermore, a machine learning model is employed to predict the proportion of intrinsic and interfacial effects, offering strategies for material screening. This work provides a rapid optimization approach and guidelines for high-performance pyroelectric devices based on ferroelectric films. The authors develop a polarization reversal method to distinguish intrinsic and interfacial pyroelectric effects in ferroelectric films and clarify their material-specific dominance. It enables the development of better thermal energy harvesters and sensors.

High performance bio-derived composite piezoelectric nanogenerators: Investigations on performance parity between MAX phase and MXene reinforcement - Vivek Kumar, Shriya Pandey, Prabhat Kumar, Reeta Nagal, Rupak Banerjee, Avanish Singh Parmar, Shilpi Chaudhary (Materials Research Bulletin, 2026)

Lead-free piezoelectric polymer-ceramic films for sustainable energy harvesting - Riccardo Manfredi, Marco Fortunato, M. Vignolo, Roberto Utzeri, Lucia Conzatti, Giovanna Canu, Lavinia Curecheriu, Iuliana Stoica (Composites Part A Applied Science and Manufacturing, 2026)
The rapid expansion of flexible electronics, soft robotics, and biomedical devices has driven growing interest in the development of flexible and sustainable energy-harvesting systems. Polymer–ceramic piezoelectric composites, which combine the high breakdown strength and mechanical flexibility of polymers with the outstanding dielectric and piezoelectric response of ferroelectric ceramics, have therefore emerged as promising candidates for next-generation energy harvesting materials. In this work, composite films consisting of a PVDF-based matrix filled with 30 vol% BaTiO 3 (BT) particles were prepared using several fabrication routes: a one-step method based on hot pressing (HP), and different two-step approaches: namely, melt blending (MB), solvent casting (SC) and microwave irradiation and mixing (MW), all followed by a final hot pressing step. MW is here proposed for the first time as an innovative, highly eco-friendly and energy-efficient approach aimed at boosting the preparatio n of this class of composite materials, while maintaining good overall performance. The resulting materials were systematically characterized with respect to their morphology, thermal properties, mechanical behaviour, and dielectric and piezoelectric performance. Comparative analysis reveals how processing history may influence BT dispersion, polymer thermal behaviour, and overall electromechanical response. This study identifies the relative advantages and limitations of each preparation route and highlights the most promising strategies for scalable fabrication of flexible, high-efficiency piezoactive composites for next-generation energy-harvesting applications.

Conductive Piezoelectric Myofiber Bioprinted Heart (CPMH): A Single-Fiber Integration of Conductivity, Piezoelectricity, and Muscle Contraction for 3D-Printed Cardiac Tissue - Yoshimitsu Katayama (Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), 2026)
Current bioprinted hearts reproduce only the physical form — they do not conduct electricity, self-generate power, or contract autonomously. This invention disclosure proposes the Conductive Piezoelectric Myofiber Bioprinted Heart (CPMH), a design concept in which a single fiber integrates three functions: (1) Conductivity — carbon nanotube/graphene composite bioink enables electrical signal propagation across the entire fiber network; (2) Piezoelectricity — PVDF-based biocompatible polymer generates electricity from mechanical contraction, enabling self-powered operation; (3) Muscle contraction — actin/myosin-analog artificial muscle proteins contract upon electrical stimulation, creating a self-sustaining beat cycle: contraction generates electricity, electricity drives contraction. The heart is printed in a helical fiber orientation replicating native myocardial architecture, with three functional layers: endocardial (high-speed signal conduction), myocardial (power generation + con traction), and epicardial (whole-body repair current transmission). CPMH serves as the physical implementation material for the previously disclosed Electromagnetic Circulatory Cardiac Engine (ECCE, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20725907). Together, ECCE and CPMH form a paired invention for a non-stopping electromagnetic artificial heart. Theoretical basis: V = N / D (Tendo Economics, Katayama Yoshimitsu, 2026). Inventor declaration: The inventor does not manufacture this device. This disclosure is published as an open knowledge base for all developers, materials scientists, bioprinting researchers, and cardiac surgeons.

Synergistic β-phase enhancement in PVDF via multilayer MoS2 for high-sensitivity flexible piezoelectric sensors - Yunlong Fu, Jing Li, Kiran Kumar Kondamareddy, Mi Jin, Pengfei Cheng, Boqun Zhang, Dingze Lu (Colloids and Surfaces A Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2026)

A Storage Management System with Supercapacitors for Piezo–Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting Devices - George Zarnescu, Lucian Pîslaru‐Dănescu, Marius Popa, Ioan Stamatin (Micromachines, 2026)
Two semiflexible piezoelectric composite plate structures were developed, incorporating 1 × 9 and 2 × 9 arrays of PZT elements mounted on brass discs and mechanically secured by pop rivets within a thin plastic foil spacer positioned between two copper-clad PCB layers. This configuration provides reliable electrical contact, adequate mechanical compliance, and efficient conversion of mechanical vibration energy into electrical energy. In addition, a multifunctional thermoelectric device was realized, consisting of four cubic modules arranged around a rectangular tube and enabling both handheld operation and coupling to hot or cold surfaces. Each cube is equipped with optimized finned heat sinks and integrates four thermoelectric elements on each face. Experimental results show that each cube generates approximately 6 mW, when handheld and with icy water injected into the central tube, demonstrating its suitability as a compact and versatile thermal energy harvester. Under low-light con ditions, a solar panel is supplemented by this hybrid piezoelectric–thermoelectric energy harvesting system that combines the output of a piezoelectric composite plate with the dual outputs of a thermoelectric device using an electronically isolated summing block to ensure source decoupling. Energy storage and management are implemented using a capacitor buffer for the piezoelectric device, two voltage boosters for the thermoelectric outputs, and an automatic ultra-low-power pulse width modulation buck regulator for charging supercapacitors at 5 V.

Piezoelectric Separation Membranes via Dual‐Side Polarization for Micro‐Powered and Fluid‐Responsive Functions - Siyuan Chen, Z. Zhao, Yue Wang, Hua Li, Cheng Chen, Wei Y, Ying Liu, Hongjun Lin (Advanced Functional Materials, 2026)
ABSTRACT Membrane fouling remains a major limitation for the long‐term operation of pressure‐driven separation processes. Although piezoelectric membranes provide a promising route for self‐powered antifouling, it is still challenging to fabricate porous membranes that combine high permeability with high electroactive β‐phase content through scalable processes. Here, we report a dual‐side synergistic polarization strategy based on a modified non‐solvent induced phase separation process, in which the NMP solvent and sodium alginate coagulation bath cooperatively promote PVDF chain rearrangement during membrane formation. This approach yields PVDF/PDA@UiO‐66‐NH 2 (Hf) composite membranes with enhanced β‐phase content and piezoelectric response. Under pulsed hydraulic pressure, the membrane converts fluid fluctuations into in situ piezoelectric potential, which contributes to pollutant repulsion and reactive oxygen species generation for self‐cleaning. The optimized membrane exhibits a fl ux of 1655 L·m −2 ·h −1 ·bar −1 and a rejection above 99% during emulsion separation, while the flux decline rate is reduced to 8.67%, compared with 33.10% under constant‐pressure operation. This work provides a feasible route for constructing piezoelectric PVDF separation membranes and offers insight into coupling dynamic antifouling with emulsion separation in a single membrane platform.

MXene‐Based Piezoelectric and Triboelectric Energy Harvesters for Personalized Monitoring and Therapeutics - Bangul Khan, Rana Talha Khalid, Bilawal Khan, M. Abul Masrur, Mohamed Elhousseini Hilal, Mohamed Elgendi, Bee Luan Khoo (Small, 2026)
MXenes, a rapidly expanding family of two-dimensional transition-metal carbides and nitrides, have emerged as a key material of self-powered wearable electronics and therapeutics owing to their metallic conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and highly tunable surface chemistry. Their integration into piezoelectric nanogenerators and triboelectric nanogenerators (PENGs and TENGs) has substantially advanced mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion in flexible, skin-conformal devices. This review critically examines recent progress in MXene-enabled nanogenerators, covering material synthesis, device architectures, charge-generation mechanisms, and system-level integration. Emphasis is placed on emerging MXene-based composites, including hydrogels, aerogels, nanofibers, and smart textiles, that synergistically integrate energy harvesting, sensing, and mechanical robustness for continuous physiological monitoring, human-machine interfaces, sports analytics, wearable therapeutics and in vi vo applications. Key challenges limiting practical deployment, such as oxidation instability, mechanical fatigue, biocompatibility, and scalable manufacturing, are systematically analyzed alongside state-of-the-art mitigation strategies. Finally, future perspectives are outlined, highlighting the convergence of MXene nanogenerators with artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and sustainable materials systems to enable autonomous, intelligent, and next-generation, personalized monitoring and therapeutic technologies.

Additive manufacturing of barium titanate-aluminum oxide piezoelectric ceramic composites using fused deposition modeling - Pei Xiang, Guichao He, Juqing Li, Zhichao Yu, Zuxin Liu, Jiaming Liang, Haiquan Xian, Jun‐Wei Zhu (Materials & Design, 2026)
Barium titanate (BT) is a key lead-free piezoelectric ceramic, but conventional forming methods limit its structural design freedom and performance regulation. This work proposes an additive manufacturing route for BT-Al 2 O 3 composites via fused deposition modeling (FDM) with a solution-based PVB/PEG feedstock. The process included filament extrusion, FDM printing, staged debinding, and sintering. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed homogeneous ceramic dispersion and interfacial compatibility, enabling complex architectures. Sintering temperature (1100–1300 ∘ C) and Al 2 O 3 particle size (1–100 µ m) significantly influenced microstructure and phase evolution, allowing the piezoelectric coefficient ( d 33 ) to be tuned from 14.3 to 96.1 pC/N. Optimized composites sintered at 1200 ∘ C with 10 µ m Al 2 O 3 exhibited a compressive strength of 4.16 ± 0.31 MPa and a flexural strength of 0.96 ± 0.23 MPa. A four-sensor-integrated component fabricated via FDM demonstrated the capability o f monitoring impact areas. This work establishes a generalized AM strategy for BT-based ceramics with tunable piezoelectric and mechanical properties, offering significant potential for smart ceramic systems.

Self-assembly of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and carbon nanotubes into flexible piezoelectric nanofiber transducers - Cherif M. Azzaz, Nicole R. Demarquette, Ricardo J. Zednik (Scientific Reports, 2026)
We report a scalable fabrication strategy for flexible piezoelectric nanofiber transducers through a single-nozzle, self-assembling electrospinning process. Unlike traditional coaxial methods, this approach exploits the surface energy differential between polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to drive the spontaneous formation of a core-shell architecture. The resulting 80 nm diameter fibers feature a predominantly crystalline β-phase PVDF shell, with molecular chains oriented along the [001] fibers axis, encapsulating a perfectly aligned MWCNT core that serves as an integrated internal electrode. Quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis confirms a five-fold increase in β-phase content relative to as-received PVDF powder, with a total crystallinity of 52% in the electrospun nanofibers. This unique coaxial configuration enables the demonstration of both direct and inverse piezoelectric effects in a single-step manufactured nanofiber device, without any post-fabrication electrical poling. The manufactured device yields an effective piezoelectric voltage coefficient of g eff = 0.22 V.m.N⁻¹, comparable to values reported for fully poled bulk PVDF films, and an effective piezoelectric strain coefficient of d eff = 2.8 pC.N⁻¹ under electrical excitation. The flexible, continuous nanofiber format, ten times thinner than spider silk, opens exciting possibilities for self-powered sensing, smart textiles, artificial skin, and structural health monitoring applications.

High-sensitivity PZT-OV/Ti3C2T /PVDF piezoelectric fiber for self-powered vital signs monitoring (eScience, 2026)
Self-powered wearable electronics for real-time physiological monitoring require mechanical energy harvesters that simultaneously offer high sensitivity, flexibility, and power density, yet most existing piezoelectric nanogenerators struggle to efficiently convert low-frequency biomechanical energy under these constraints. In particular, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based composite fibers often suffer from limited interfacial charge transport and insufficient piezoelectric response, which restricts their use in practical, textile-integrated devices. Here, we develop a high-performance piezoelectric composite fiber, PZT-O V /Ti 3 C 2 T x /PVDF, by electrostatic spinning self-assembly of oxygen vacancy–engineered lead zirconate titanate (PZT-O V ), MXene (Ti 3 C 2 T x ), and PVDF. The resulting prickly-fibril interfacial structure between PZT-O V and Ti 3 C 2 T x enables ultrafast carrier transport and enhanced mechanosensitive, yielding flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) wi th a 15-fold increase in current density under compression. Optimized devices deliver a peak power density of 4.78 μW cm −2 , a sensitivity of 1.46 V kPa −1 , and an energy conversion efficiency of 14.8%. Integrated into wearable textiles, these PENGs harvest subtle biomechanical energy and wirelessly transmit data via Bluetooth, enabling self-powered monitoring of body temperature and heart rate. These results demonstrate that combining oxygen vacancy engineering with MXene-assisted interfacial design in electrospun fibers is an effective strategy for advancing high-performance, self-powered wearable biosensing systems.

Electrospun PVDF/PZT hybrid piezoelectric composites: a route to flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators (Smart Materials and Structures, 2026)
Abstract Flexible self-powered piezoelectric devices offer a promising route for converting waste vibrational energy into sustainable power sources. In this study, ferroelectric Pb(Zr 0.52 Ti 048 )O 3 (PZT) nanoparticles were incorporated into a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix at varying volume fractions using electrospinning. Structural characterization by x-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry validated enhanced crystallinity and increased electroactive β -phase content due to PZT inclusion. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy further revealed the fiber morphology and diameter distribution in both pristine and hybrid PVDF/PZT nanofibers. The optimized PVDF/PZT (33%) nanogenerator, encapsulated with polydimethylsiloxane, exhibited an open-circuit voltage 5.4 times higher than that of pristine PVDF and achieved a peak power density of 0.97 µ W cm −2 under mechanical excitation. The device also demonstrated excelle nt stability over 6000 cycles and practical applicability by charging capacitors and powering light-emitting diodes. These findings underscore the potential of the developed PVDF/PZT-based nanogenerator as a flexible, high-output, and durable energy-harvesting solution for next-generation wearable electronics, self-powered sensors, and micro-electro-mechanical systems applications.

Boosting Piezoelectric Performance of Poly(vinylidene fluoride) through Synchronizing Intense Shear and Ion–Dipole Interaction under Microinjection Molding - Shiping Song, Xinwen Zhou, Bing Yang, Jie Chen, Jingqing Xu, Ailin Tan, Qiyun Feng, Xingxing Miao (Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2026)
Due to the outstanding flexibility and stress-to-electricity conversion characteristics, piezoelectric polymer devices are increasingly emerging as ideal power supply solutions for self-powered intelligent devices. In addition, achieving piezoelectric polar active crystals via conventional processing methods still remains challenging, thus severely constraining the output performance. Herein, we successfully developed a novel polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) piezoelectric composite that achieves boosted piezoelectric performance and conversion efficiency through combining the intense shear force field of microinjection molding with the strong ion-dipole interaction. The mechanism underlying the influence of the macroscopic intense shear flow field and microscopic interface coupling on the crystal structure, crystal morphology, and electrical properties of the resulting PVDF composite was thoroughly investigated. The content of the obtained polar acti ve crystals (β and γ) could achieve as high as 77.2% under the controlled conditions. The enhanced piezoelectric properties could reach an open-circuit voltage of 3.7 V and a short-circuit current of 131.5 nA, respectively, which were better than those of most reported piezoelectric materials. This work not only contributed a new route to induce the generation of polar crystals in piezoelectric polymers but also offered a promising approach for large-scale production of high-performance piezoelectric devices.

A Hybrid Chitosan–BaTiO 3 Composite-Based Flexible and Self-Powered Pressure Sensor for Wearable Healthcare Applications - Zhao Wang, Bhavani Prasad Yalagala, Jungang Zhang, Zixuan He, Hadi Heidari, Andrew Feeney (ACS Applied Engineering Materials, 2026)
Wearable pressure sensors are key to many applications, such as those for Internet of Things (IoT), implantables in healthcare, soft robotics, insoles, and prosthetics, where the demands for flexible, self-powered, and highly sensitive pressure sensors are significantly growing. These requirements necessitate the development of flexible and high-performance piezoelectric materials, where current embodiments can be limited, requiring compromises between properties such as sensitivity, output voltage, biocompatibility, and response time. Here, a biopolymer composite-based piezoelectric material using chitosan-BaTiO₃ nanoparticles (NPs) is produced, showing significant promise for wearable healthcare pressure sensors. To demonstrate this, a piezoelectric-based dynamic pressure sensor and its array (5 × 5) are fabricated using a hybrid composite material by varying different concentrations of BaTiO₃ NPs (5, 10, 15 wt %). The sensors demonstrate relatively high pressure and frequency sensit ivities for three different concentrations of the hybrid composite (5, 10, 15 wt %), constituting 105 mV/kPa, 233 mV/kPa, 276 mV/kPa; and 448.57 mV/Hz, 1703 mV/Hz, 2564 mV/Hz, respectively. The results show that the sensitivity increases linearly with an increase in the BaTiO3 NP concentration, and the 15 wt % shows a maximum of 11-fold increase in the pressure and frequency sensitivities compared to pure chitosan. The mechanical flexibility of the pressure sensor is validated for 10⁴ cycles and demonstrates excellent long-term stability. This class of hybrid organic–inorganic composite-based pressure sensor will be a pathway toward highly flexible, sensitive, and biocompatible wearable electronic devices for healthcare applications.

BSZT/BNNS-Incorporated PVDF Composites for Dramatically Enhanced Electrocaloric Cooling Capability - ["Xiaofeng Liu", "Mingtao Zhu", "Hao Hu", "Tian Zhang", "Yong Zhang"] (ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2026)
With increasing global concerns over energy efficiency and environmental protection, traditional refrigeration technologies encounter significant challenges. The electrocaloric effect (ECE), as a solid-state and environmentally friendly refrigeration technology, has emerged a key focus for next-generation cooling devices owing to its ease of control and broad applicability. However, low thermal conductivity (κ < 0.2 W/(m·K)) and high electric field requirements (>100 MV/m) limit its practical application. Herein, we propose a dual-filler synergy strategy by integrating barium strontium zirconium titanate (BSZT) nanofibers (high polarization) and hydroxylated boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs–OH, high κ and low dielectric constant) into a relaxor ferroelectric polymer matrix. This effectively simultaneously addresses dielectric mismatch and poor thermal management, two long-standing bottlenecks of single-filler ECE systems. The optimized composite (9 wt % BSZT/8 wt % BNNSs) demonstrates o utstanding performance at room temperature (30 °C): a significant electrocaloric temperature change (Δ T = 13.5 K at 75 MV/m), enhanced thermal conductivity (κ = 1.6 W/(m·K)), and improved breakdown strength ( E b = 394 MV/m). Compared to the pristine polymer, the composite demonstrates a 230% improvement in cooling efficiency, alongside great cyclic stability over 1000 cycles. This work offers a material-based solution for high-performance solid-state cooling, facilitating practical applications in portable devices, wearable electronics, and chip thermal management.

Optimization of Energy Storage Performance in Sandwich-Structured PVDF-NBT/BN Composite Films - ["Haoran Chen", "Jincong Zhang", "Tingwei Mei", "Tian Zhang", "Yong Zhang"] (ACS Applied Electronic Materials, 2026)
With the continuous advancement of modern electronics and power equipment, there is a growing demand for film capacitors with higher dielectric constants and discharge energy densities. In this study, we fabricated a sandwich-structured thin film using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-bismuth sodium titanate (NBT) as the outer layers and boron nitride (BN) nanosheets as the intermediate layer. The PVDF-NBT layers enhance the material's polarization strength and dielectric constant, while the BN layer ensures its breakdown strength and insulation properties. With an optimal composition of 6 wt % BN and 3 wt % NBT, the composite film achieves an energy storage density of 13.2 J cm −3 and a breakdown strength of 5000 kV/cm while maintaining a low dielectric loss of approximately 0.02 at 1000 Hz. These results indicate that the proposed composite structure holds great promise for applications in dielectric energy storage.

Fabrication and performance of integrated self-powered PAAM hydrogel flexible pressure sensors - Huaikuan Zang; Chao Hu; Pan Niu; Yong Zhang (Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, 2026)

Advances in mechanical energy harvesting using piezoelectric ceramics - Jihong Liao; Zheyi Tang; Hongjian Zhang; Xiaodong Yan; Yong Zhang (Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, 2026)

Strain-engineered ZnO/PVDF nanocomposite piezoelectric films for high-performance self-powered flexible wearable pressure sensors - Rathna R (Microelectronics International, 2026)
Purpose This study aims to investigate the design, fabrication and characterisation of self-powered flexible pressure sensors based on zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays embedded in a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) piezoelectric matrix, targeting continuous health monitoring and human–machine interface applications. Design/methodology/approach Vertically aligned ZnO nanorods were synthesised via low-temperature hydrothermal growth and embedded in an electrospun PVDF nanofibre matrix. Strain engineering was applied by controlling nanorod aspect ratio (diameter 80–250 nm; length 1.2–4.5 µm) and nanocomposite thickness (20–80 µm). Structural and electromechanical properties were characterised using X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infra-red spectroscopy. Output voltage, current density and sensitivity were measured under cyclic compressive loads from 0.1 to 500 kPa. Findings The optimi sed composite (aspect ratio 18:1, thickness 45 µm) delivered an open-circuit voltage of 32.4V, short-circuit current density of 8.7 µA cm² and peak power density of 28.6 µW cm² at 50 kPa. Sensitivity reached 6.23 mV kPa¹ below 10 kPa, with a linear range of 0.1–500 kPa, response time of 28 ms and 96.2% output retention over 50,000 cycles. Real-time wrist pulse, finger-bending and plantar pressure monitoring were demonstrated without external power. Practical implications The battery-free architecture and low-cost hydrothermal synthesis present a scalable pathway towards self-powered diagnostic wearables for clinical and consumer health monitoring. Originality/value A holistic strain-engineering strategy combining nanorod aspect ratio tuning and matrix porosity control simultaneously maximises piezoelectric output and mechanical compliance, exceeding the sensitivity and power density of previously reported single-filler piezoelectric wearable sensors.

Sustainable Piezo-luminescent Cellulose Composite Fibers: Impact of the Processing Strategy on Energy Harvesting and Durability - Hemanth Jawaharlal, Loganathan Veeramuthu, Amirthavarshini Muthuraman, Snekaa Babu, Yu-Syun Huang, Shih‐Yu Lin, Yue Wang, Van Thi Bich Pham (ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2026)
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to expand, the need for sustainable, self-powered wearable electronics has become increasingly urgent, even though today’s energy-harvesting materials often depend on toxic or brittle ceramics. To address this, multifunctional piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) were developed by embedding copper-doped zinc sulfide (Cu–ZnS) microparticles into a cellulose acetate (CA) matrix. This research systematically investigated the impact of fabrication strategies, electrospinning (ES) versus electrsopraying (ESP), on filler dispersion, dipole alignment, and electromechanical performance. The results demonstrate that the ES process is significantly more effective, yielding a composite fiber with a crystallinity of 62.67% and a superior piezoelectric coefficient ( d 33 ) of 20.29 pm/V. The optimized electrospun PENG achieved a peak output voltage of 19.3 V, a current of 1.0 μA, and a power density of 126. 14 μW/cm 3 at a load resistance of 4 MΩ. Furthermore, the composite exhibited robust mechanoluminescence and exceptional long-term durability after 5 days and remained stable in humid conditions due to its hydrophobic nature (contact angle 106.7°) while retaining 91% of its initial output voltage after 15 weeks. These findings conclude that the electrospun CA/Cu–ZnS architecture provides a high-performance, durable, and eco-friendly solution for self-powered sensing and smart textile applications.

Interface-Engineered Flexible FBARs: Acoustic-Impedance-Mismatch-Driven High-Order Resonance Enhancement in β-PVDF/Sc 0.35 Al 0.65 N/SiO 2 /PI Stacks - C X Liu, Bo Dong, Mei‐Shan Wang, PanWen Zhao (ACS Applied Electronic Materials, 2026)
High-frequency flexible FBARs are limited by substrate leakage and the difficulty of maintaining stable high-order resonances when scaling conventional inorganic piezoelectric films. We propose an air-cavity-free flexible FBAR on a polyimide that integrates a β-PVDF/Sc 0.35 Al 0.65 N composite piezoelectric stack with a SiO 2 support layer. The acoustic-impedance mismatch at the β-PVDF/ScAlN interface and the SiO 2 /PI reflection collectively establish a multi-interface, Fabry–Pérot-like acoustic confinement, strengthening high-order resonance and reducing loss to the flexible substrate. Frequency-domain FEM predicts a stable high-order mode at 26.61 GHz with Q = 2523 ( f × Q = 6.71 × 10 13 ) and an estimated TCF of approximately −4.29 ppm °C −1 over −30 to 75 °C, suggesting the potential of this architecture for high-frequency flexible filters and wearable sensing platforms.

Energy harvesting by piezoelectric macro fiber composite and PVDF piezoelectric film on flexible substrate in harsh environment - Cristina Rusu, Elof Köhler, E. Trabaldo, S. Sepheri, V. Uden, Peter D. Folkow, Leena Ryynänen, Mika Penttilä (Sensors and Actuators A Physical, 2026)

Graphene Aerogel-Based Flexible Pressure Sensor for Physiological Signal Detection and Human–Machine Interaction - Zihan Wang, Zeshang Zhao, Qiyang Tu, Chengpeng Yao, Zhao Liu, Chengzhi Zhou, Luxiang Xu, Shijie Guo, Chuizhou Meng, Gaofeng Shao, Huanyu Cheng, Li Yang (Nano-Micro Letters, 2026)
Abstract Despite extensive development of flexible pressure sensors, it is still difficult for them to simultaneously achieve high precision and a large response to subtle pressures. To address these challenges, this work demonstrates a flexible pressure sensing platform that features the reduced graphene oxide aerogel sandwiched between a polydimethylsiloxane encapsulation layer and a thin polyimide film with interdigital electrodes. The resulting pressure sensor exhibits a high sensitivity of 698.96 kPa −1 and a low limit of detection (~ 1 Pa), and outstanding stability over 20,000 loading/unloading cycles. Besides monitoring various physiological signals and human motions, the flexible pressure sensors can be configured into an array layout as a smart artificial electronic skin to recognize the spatial pressure distribution. The flexible pressure sensor can also be integrated with signal processing and wireless communication mod ules as a teleoperation system for gesture recognition, force feedback control, and kitchen food recognition, highlighting future potential toward smart robotics and human–machine interfaces.

Flexible ionic pressure sensors: From migration‐electronic mechanisms to emerging iontronic paradigms - Mengjie Wang, Yanan Ma, Jia Liu, Li Xu, Li Wen, Ranyun Wu, Yongfa Cheng, Liang Li, Siliang Wang, Yang Yue, Zhixiang Huang (InfoMat, 2026)
Abstract Flexible ionic pressure sensors (FIPS) have emerged as promising candidates for bridging the gap between electronics and biologically compatible interfaces. Unlike previous reviews, which focused primarily on materials or devices, this review presents a classification of FIPS based on mechanisms into two distinct categories: the migration‐electronic type and the emerging iontronic type. Eight representative sensing mechanisms are systematically analyzed, including ionic piezoresistive, capacitive, piezoelectric and triboelectric effects (migration‐electronic), as well as ionic diode, potentiometric transduction, nanofluidic and coupled nanofluidic–potentiometric transduction mechanisms (emerging iontronic). The basic force‐electric response principles of each type of sensor have been described, combining theoretical derivation formulas followed by a comparative analysis of advantages, disadvantages, and key performance indicators, which have bo th comprehensiveness and originality. Furthermore, we highlight advanced engineering approaches integrating ionic transport materials, flexible substrates, and novel electrodes to enhance sensitivity, stability, and multi‐modal responsiveness. Finally, we outline current challenges and future prospects of wearable electronics, healthcare monitoring, and intelligent robotics. By mapping the evolution of sensing mechanisms and their associated architectures, this review provides a comprehensive and forward‐looking perspective on the development of next‐generation ionic sensing systems. image

A dynamically cross-linked LA/Arg/NMA hydrogel with integrated self-adhesion, self-healing, and ionic conductivity for flexible wearable sensors and triboelectric nanogenerators - Shiwei Xu, Deyang Kong, Feng Qin, Xuanzhu Wang, Mufan Zhang, Pengfan Wu, Zhongyong Mo, Hengyu Guo, Hua Yu (Nano Energy, 2026)

Temperature-adaptive flexible pressure sensor based on thiol-ene click chemistry and 3D printing for wearable devices - Feiyue Zhou, Lixuan Yang, Shuqi Zhang, Yuxuan Ma, Yingtao Li, Sha Long, Dan Yu, Wei Wang (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2026)

Comment on “Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Novel Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosis System Using 3D Pulse Perception Flexible Pressure Sensor Array” - Haiyan Wang, Yanbing Wang (ACS Sensors, 2026)

Transparent strain-insensitive stretchable ionic temperature sensor with MXene enhanced performance - Lingyun Cao, Yao Zhou, Juan Wang, Zhiwei Zhang, Bin Cheng, Zhihong Chen, Jiageng Pan, Jiaxiang Chen, Jiangfeng He, Xiaoxiao Ma, Honglong Li, Guowei Yang, Fang Yi (Nano Research, 2026)
Abstract Temperature is a fundamental physical quantity. With the rapid development of stretchable electronics, transparent stretchable temperature sensors are in critical demand. However, performance retention under strain is a great challenge, and the influence of the electrode on the sensing performance is rarely reported. Here, a transparent strain-insensitive stretchable ionic temperature sensor is developed, whose sensing performance is enhanced through an electrode engineering strategy by inserting MXene between two Ag NWs layers. MXene largely increases the electrode’s adhesion strength to the ionogel electrolyte, and hinders ion adsorption while, in the meantime, bonds with neutral ion pairs whose dissociation enhances with increasing temperature. The strain-insensitive sensing performance is mainly ascribed to a crack counteraction mechanism, where the boosting effect of the expanding electrode area as strain enlarges is counteracte d by the decline in conductive paths owing to widening cracks. This crack counteraction mechanism is quantitatively verified through theoretical simulation. The sensor is demonstrated for various applications, including smart prosthetic hands, motion tracking, and temperature monitoring of a deforming surface. This work could inspire new stretchable sensor designs and guide strain-insensitive stretchable electronics.

A high-performance pressure sensor enabled by a sodium alginate bilayer hydrogel via tailored unit ring-opening - Chenglong Bi, Weikun Jiang, Wenliang Wang, Shubin Wu, Yu Liu (International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2026)

Flexible Passive LC Pressure Sensor With Impedance-Matched Readout for Extended Wireless Sensing Range - Jiahao Lin, Xiaolei Zhang, Junfeng Chen, Wei Xu (IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 2026)

Pressure sensitive flexible textured capacitive sensor for bionic tactile perceptual platform - Jia Kang Di, Wan Lin Zhang, Si Yuan Zhou, Bei Chen Gong, Wei Sheng Wang, Li Qiang Zhu (Applied Materials Today, 2026)

Multifunctional superhydrophobic fabric strain sensor enabled by a synergistically dual-conductive network - Yayue Wang, Chenyi Cui, Baojin Qi (Applied Surface Science, 2026)

Honeycomb structures via ice-sacrificial masking enable the flexible pressure sensor for force perception and feedback - Xiaohong Wen, Yongliang Deng, Xinle Han, Xinyue Zhang, Xiumin Gao, Xuefeng Zhao (Surfaces and Interfaces, 2026)

Hydrogel‐Based 3D‐Printable Stretchable Pressure Sensor - Tianyu Yuan, Chenzhuo Li, Antonia Georgopoulou, John M. Kolinski, Esther Amstad (Advanced Materials Technologies, 2026)
ABSTRACT Soft pressure sensors become increasingly important, for example, to introduce tactility to soft robots, smart wearables, and biomedical devices. These applications often require stretchable sensors that withstand deformation. Conventional soft pressure sensors often entail concentrated fillers that tend to render them brittle, such that they risk failing if excessively strained. We introduce a 3D‐printable pressure sensor composed of carbon black‐functionalized double network granular hydrogels (CB‐DNGHs). The granular structure of DNGHs enables localization of CB fillers in the interstitial spaces such that they reach percolation even if added at concentrations as low as 0.95 vol%, enabling them to combine piezoresistivity with toughness. The granular nature of the ink offers an additional advantage: it enables direct ink writing of materials with locally varying compositions and hence pressure sensing ranges. We leverage this feature to 3D p rint a CB‐DNGH‐based shoe sole for gait analysis that can detect pressures as low as kPa to several 100 kPa. The combination of a wide pressure sensing range, high sensitivity, low signal drift, and high toughness renders this material a promising soft pressure sensor for underwater applications, point‐of‐care measurements, or measurements conducted in humid environments.

Ionic Liquid‐Enhanced 3D Printed Flexible Resin for Pressure‐Sensing Applications - Nelson Pereira, Ana Sofia Castro, Cristian Mendes‐Felipe, Daniela Maria Correia, Senentxu Lanceros‐Méndez (Advanced Materials Technologies, 2026)
Abstract Iontronic materials show high performance for applications as pressure sensors due to the formation of the electric double layers (EDLs) at the dielectric/electrode interface. The properties of iontronic materials can be tuned, allowing the sensor to be customized for varied pressure ranges and ambient conditions. Furthermore, additive printing techniques enable to obtain customized cost‐effective complex sensor designs, opening up new applications in the fields of medical devices, automotive systems, and consumer electronics. This work demonstrates the manufacturing process of a pressure sensor by stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing of a Liqcreate Flexible X resin in a gyroid framework, accounting for structural density variations. Furthermore, different concentrations (5 and 20% wt.) of the ionic liquid (IL) 1‐butyl‐3‐methyl imidazolium thiocyanate ([Bmim][SCN]) are used to tune the EDL and maximize the sensor sensitivity. The capacitance re sponse to applied pressure is analyzed across different designs. The configuration with 20% wt. IL content and lower quantity of pores exhibited superior performance, achieving a pressure sensitivity of 0.065 kPa −1 throughout a pressure range of 60 kPa. This study demonstrated the simple manufacturing process and ability to improve commercially available resins with ionic liquid, to achieve highly customized sensors.

Printed Orthogonal Grid Electrode‐Based Flexible Pressure Sensor for Swelling Force Monitoring in LFP Batteries During Cycling and Thermal Runaway - Rong Sun, Peng Xiao, Lei Sun, Dongliang Guo, Ye Wang, Xinkai Xie, Jun Wu (Advanced Materials Technologies, 2026)
ABSTRACT The swelling force evolution in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries serves as a critical indicator of internal mechanical changes, providing valuable insights into battery degradation and safety risks. However, conventional flexible pressure sensors face significant challenges in battery expansion monitoring, including limited pressure range, insufficient cycling durability, and poor compatibility with commercial battery designs. In this study, we fabricated a thin‐film pressure sensor featuring orthogonal grid electrodes through screen‐printing crisscrossed electrode arrays between dual‐layer PET substrates. This grid‐contact mechanism effectively extends the sensor's pressure detection range. The optimized sensor demonstrates an extended pressure range (0–2 MPa) and excellent cycling stability (>3000 cycles), meeting the stringent requirements for long‐term battery monitoring. When attached to prismatic LFP battery cells, the sensor suc cessfully captured dynamic swelling force variations during galvanostatic cycling at 0.3C, 0.5C, and 1.0C rates. Moreover, during overcharge‐induced thermal runaway tests, the sensor accurately monitored the swelling force evolution, with peak forces exceeding 5000 N during the thermal runaway phase. This work not only proposes a novel methodology to expand the measurement range of printed thin‐film sensors but also provides a scalable and cost‐effective solution for battery health monitoring.

Flexible pressure sensor based on Cu mesh/ZnO nanorod/graphene - Panting Zheng, Pengfei Zhao, Jijun Ding, Haixia Chen, Yongfeng Qu (Materials Research Bulletin, 2026)