Fabrication of soft piezoelectric nanomaterials is essential for the development of wearable and implantable biomedical devices. However, a big challenge in this soft functional material development is to achieve a high piezoelectric property with long-term stability in a biological environment. Here, a one-step strategy for fabricating core/shell poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF)/dopamine (DA) nanofibers (NFs) with a very high β-phase content and self-aligned polarization is reported. The self-assembled core/shell structure is believed essential for the formation and alignment of β-phase PVDF, where strong intermolecular interaction between the NH2 groups on DA and the CF2 groups on PVDF is responsible for aligning the PVDF chains and promoting β-phase nucleation. The as-received PVDF/DA NFs exhibit significantly enhanced piezoelectric performance and excellent stability and biocompatibility. An all-fiber-based soft sensor is fabricated and tested on human skin and in vivo in mice. The devices show a high sensitivity and accuracy for detecting weak physiological mechanical stimulation from diaphragm motions and blood pulsation. This sensing capability offers great diagnostic potential for the early assessment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases and respiratory disorders.
Keywords: core/shell nanofibers; electrospinning; implantable sensors; piezoelectric materials; poly(vinylidene difluoride).
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