Recently, a research team led by Professor Lei Zhouyue and Professor Wu Peiyi from the College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Donghua University has made significant progress in the field of ionic piezoelectric materials. Their study focuses on addressing the inherent trade-off between the electrical and mechanical properties of these materials through microphase separation and interface engineering design. The research titled Piezoionic Elastomers by Phase and Interface Engineering for High-performance Energy-harvesting Ionotronics has been published online in the prestigious journal Advanced Materials. The study, conducted at Donghua University, was led by doctoral student Zhu Weiyan as the first author, with Professor Wu Peiyi and Researcher Lei Zhouyue as the corresponding authors.
Piezoelectric materials play a crucial role in converting mechanical energy into electrical energy, making them essential for energy harvesting and human-machine interaction in self-powered systems. However, balancing the mechanical and piezoelectric response properties has been a challenge for long. To address it, the research team has designed an ionic piezoelectric elastomer based on microphase separation and interfacial engineering. By utilizing stress distribution in the rigid phases, charge separation is promoted. Simultaneously, an intermediate phase connecting the heterogeneous phases enhances the high mobility of ion charges.
Figure Design of Microphase Separation Structure in Ionic Piezoelectric Elastomer with Intermediate Phase.
