Shape Memory Polymers for Body Motion Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Mechanosensing

Ruiyuan Liu; Xiao Kuang; Jianan Deng; Yi-Cheng Wang; Aurelia C Wang; Wenbo Ding; Ying-Chih Lai; Jun Chen; Peihong Wang; Zhiqun Lin; H Jerry Qi; Baoquan Sun; Zhong Lin Wang

doi:10.1002/adma.201705195

Shape Memory Polymers for Body Motion Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Mechanosensing

Adv Mater. 2018 Feb;30(8). doi: 10.1002/adma.201705195. Epub 2018 Jan 10.

Authors

Ruiyuan Liu^{1

2}, Xiao Kuang³, Jianan Deng¹, Yi-Cheng Wang¹, Aurelia C Wang¹, Wenbo Ding¹, Ying-Chih Lai¹, Jun Chen¹, Peihong Wang¹, Zhiqun Lin¹, H Jerry Qi³, Baoquan Sun², Zhong Lin Wang^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
² Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China.
³ George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
⁴ Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Science, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100083, China.

PMID: 29318681
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201705195

Abstract

Growing demand in portable electronics raises a requirement to electronic devices being stretchable, deformable, and durable, for which functional polymers are ideal choices of materials. Here, the first transformable smart energy harvester and self-powered mechanosensation sensor using shape memory polymers is demonstrated. The device is based on the mechanism of a flexible triboelectric nanogenerator using the thermally triggered shape transformation of organic materials for effectively harvesting mechanical energy. This work paves a new direction for functional polymers, especially in the field of mechanosensation for potential applications in areas such as soft robotics, biomedical devices, and wearable electronics.

Keywords: energy harvesting; self-powered mechanosensation; shape memory polymers; triboelectric nanogenerators.