Background:
Piezoelectric materials have been utilized widely in sensors and actuators. Compared to commonly used piezoelectric structures, such as those based on bulk and thin films, piezoelectric fibers have attracted more attention because they allow greater flexibility in the design and application of various structures. Such fibers can be made of a number of materials. Such as Zinc oxide, barium titanate, lead, zirconate titanate, or a piezo electric polymer such as polyvinylidine fluoride. In particular, fibers made of PZT have provided the basis for devices having high bandwidth, fast response, and high sensitivity. While there are many methods for fabricating piezoelectric fibers having microscale dimensions, there are few methods for fabricating piezoelectric nanofibers, including hydrothermal synthesis, sol electrophoresis and metallo-organic decomposition (MOD) electrospinning.
Summary:
This invention focuses on fabrication of piezoelectric structures having nanoscale dimensions, and the characteristics and uses of the nanostructures themselves. Fibrous structures (“nanofibers”), tubular structures (“nanotubes”), simple branched structures (“nanojunctions”) and highly-branched structures (“nanotrees”) are disclosed here. These nanostructures include structures that are fabricated entirely from piezoelectric materials, composite nanostructures which comprise adjacent layers of piezoelectric materials and electrically-conductive materials. Such composite nanostructures may act as mechanical-electrical energy transducers and as electrical conductors or electrodes.
Current invention also focuses on fabricating homogeneous or composite nanofibers and nanotubes by electrospinning. Devices used herein can fabricate single homogeneous nanofibers and multiple nanofibers at high rates. Also, a co-axial device for electrospinning composite nanofibers and nanotubes, or homogeneous nanotubes, is used.
Template-assisted methods for fabricating nanotubes, nanotubes and nanotrees, as homogeneous structures of piezoelectric materials or composite structures of piezoelectric materials and electrically-conductive materials are included in this patent. Micron-Scale active fiber composite devices comprising piezoelectric nanostructures (NAFC)and their fabricating methods are included in this patent.
Benefits:
- New method of fabrication
Applications:
- Uses of nanofibers and new methods of fabrication for the same would expand the market for nanosensors and actuators
- Once mass produced, will be more affordable than conventional ones
Full Patent: Piezoelectric-Electrode Composite Nanofibers