High‐Performance Flexible Pyroelectric Energy Harvesting System Enabled by Light‐Driven Thermomechanical Coupling in Liquid Crystal Elastomer
Abstract
ABSTRACT Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) with reversible thermal actuation are promising platforms for multifunctional flexible electronics. Herein, we present a PVDF/LM‐LCE (PVDF, polyvinylidene fluoride; LM, liquid metal) composite in which PVDF is polymerized in situ within the LCE matrix to achieve seamless mechanical coupling and efficient stress transfer. LM nanodroplets enhance mechanical robustness, charge transport, and photothermal conversion, enabling LCEs to serve as photothermally driven transducers that amplify the piezoelectric and pyroelectric outputs in these flexible systems. The optimized composite achieves a pyroelectric coefficient of −4.81 nC·cm − 2 ·K − 1 , 1.8 times higher than conventional PVDF films. Furthermore, the composite device powers two LEDs and digital sensors using low‐grade photothermal fluctuations. This LCE‐based light‐driven thermomechanical‐to‐electrical conversion strategy offers a generalizable pathway for high‐performance, flexible pyroelectric and piezoelectric energy‐harvesting materials.
Article Details
Authors (9)
Jia‐Qi Luo
Institute For Science and Applications of Molecular Ferroelectrics, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials Zhejiang Normal University Jinhua 321004 People's Republic of China
Jie‐Ke Xu
Institute For Science and Applications of Molecular Ferroelectrics, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials Zhejiang Normal University Jinhua 321004 People's Republic of China
Hari Krishna Bisoyi
Materials Science Graduate Program Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
Zhi‐Yu Xue
Institute for Science and Applications of Molecular Ferroelectrics Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials Zhejiang Normal University Jinhua China
Wen‐Qiang Qiu
Institute for Science and Applications of Molecular Ferroelectrics Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials Zhejiang Normal University Jinhua China
Jing‐Song Tang
Institute for Science and Applications of Molecular Ferroelectrics Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials Zhejiang Normal University Jinhua China
Hai‐Feng Lu
Institute for Science and Applications of Molecular Ferroelectrics Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials Zhejiang Normal University Jinhua China
Yuqi Tang
Quan Li